New Zealand logs 14,311 new COVID-19 community cases over past week

WELLINGTON, Oct. 17 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand recorded 14,311 new community cases of COVID-19 and 34 more deaths from the pandemic over the past week, the country's Ministry of Health said on Monday.

On average, new cases per day reached 2,041 in the last week. The country has seen the number of daily cases going down steadily from over 10,000 cases nationwide in early July.

With the fresh cases, New Zealand has recorded 1,814,890 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 2,065 COVID-19-related deaths since the pandemic hit the country in early 2020, the ministry said.

Currently, 185 COVID-19 patients are being treated in hospitals in the country, including two in intensive care units or high dependency units, showed official data.