New Zealanders in India are devastated the government has taken the unprecedented step of suspending all travel from the COVID-19 hot spot leaving them stranded.

From Sunday, no one can arrive here from India for 14 days - giving officials a chance to investigate ways to reduce the risk from a country where the coronavirus is rampant.

India is experiencing a major surge in COVID-19 cases, with nearly 100,000 new infections reported every day.

That's reflected in the cases picked up in managed isolation here, with 80 percent in the past two weeks from the subcontinent. Seventeen of the 23 COVID-19 cases reported in managed isolation yesterday arrived from India.

Desperate times, desperate measures

Never before have New Zealand citizens and residents overseas been stopped from coming home.

The prime minister wants to know if and how those numbers of infectious cases from India can drop.

"It may be that there are simply no other practical ways to reduce the risk but we want to exhaust every option because it not only keeps those who are travelling safer, but of course, reducing the risk in our managed isolation facilities."