The burns injuries suffered by those on Whakaari White Island are so severe that 1.2 million square centimetres of skin donations is needed to treat them.
Health officials have been providing updates on those who were injured in Monday's eruption - 29 patients remain in intensive care and burns units around the country.
They say of those, 22 still need airway support to breathe due to the severity of their burns.
Hospitals are urgently sourcing that much needed 1.2 million square centimetres of skin from the United States to graft onto those injured.
Surgical teams have been working around the clock to deal with the injuries - which are being described as complicated, due to their chemical and thermal nature.
Back in Whakatāne, a timeline on when the bodies of those still on Whakaari White Island has yet to be confirmed. Civil Defence says the science is telling them the risk is too high right now to launch a recovery operation to white island for the eight bodies that remain there - with a 40-60 percent chance of another eruption in the next 24 hours.
Families and friends of those who were victims of the Whakaari eruption are waiting to hear about any recovery efforts on the island.
RNZ report Ben Strang is at the river mouth in Whakatāne, where a cordon has been erected.
