Wellington, Apr 8 (IANS): New Zealand on Thursday announced a temporary ban on arrivals from India, which has witnessed a massive surge in new Covid-19 cases, in order to curb the spread of the virus in managed quarantine facilities.

From April 11 to 28, flights from India to New Zealand will be suspended in order to reduce the number of arriving passengers from India who test positive for Covid-19, reports Xinhua news agency.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern told a press conference that anyone who had been in India in the past 14 days would be banned from entering New Zealand until April 28.

The ban applies to anyone who has been in India, covering New Zealand citizens and residents, Ardern said.

The Prime Minister said that she understood that the temporary ban would affect New Zealand citizens and residents currently living in India, but she felt "a sense of responsibility and obligation to find ways to reduce risks that travellers are experiencing".

The decision came as New Zealand reported 23 newly imported Covid-19 cases in managed isolation facilities on Thursday.

Among them, 17 people came from India.

On Thursday, India recorded 126,789 Covid-19 cases, the highest single-day spike following the onset of the pandemic last year.

The new figure increased the overall caseload to 12,928,574, the world's third highest after the US and Brazil.

The death toll from the deadly infection stands at 1,66,892, the fourth largest in the world after the US, Brazil and Mexico.