US President Donald Trump has again disparaged New Zealand's response to the new Covid-19 outbreak, telling a crowd "it's over for New Zealand" and labelling it a "massive outbreak".
His comments this morning came the day after when five new cases were identified in New Zealand, while new cases in the USA were 46,500.
Speaking to a crowd in Pennsylvania, he said the USA has "done an incredible job.
"You look at our mortality rates, you look at all the things - but they like to compare us to others so they were talking about New Zealand," he said.
"New Zealand - it's over - it's over for New Zealand, everything's gone, they're beautiful.
"They had a massive breakout yesterday."
The US president said during a White House press conference that Aotearoa "had a big outbreak".
To contrast the two countries, almost 175,000 people have died from Covid-19 in the USA, while New Zealand's death toll is 22.
Mr Trump has repeatedly talked down New Zealand's response to the pandemic this week, with his latest comments marking the third time he has referenced New Zealand.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern this week called Mr Trump's comments "patently wrong".
"Obviously I don't think there's any comparison between New Zealand's current cluster and the tens of thousands of cases that are being seen daily in the United States," Ms Ardern said.
"Every country is experiencing its own fight with Covid-19; it is a tricky virus, but not one where I would compare New Zealand's current status to the United States."
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