Stories by Rachel Thomas

The Mary Potter Hospice is facing a debt hole its boss says is "unsustainable", as the charity wrestles with a perfect storm of financial hurdles.

Heavy cannabis users - who are prone to destructive lung disease sometimes known as "bong lung" - can suffer irreversible lung damage, a New Zealand study suggests.

The heartbroken whānau of Pukekohe butcher Roy Green say they are relieved the government has loosened restrictions on tangihanga.

Private businesses working in close contact with people must buy PPE themselves, ahead of alert level 2 - but some have too little and others too much.

Kiwis have re-claimed takeaways, but at what cost to the environment? Disposable coffee cups are overflowing rubbish bins.

Wellington's turd taxis may be off the city's streets in two weeks, as progress on repairs to a collapsed pipe have surged ahead.

Wellington's water contractor suggested the Wellington City Council might like to relax some of the performance targets for its pipe network if it wanted the contractor to start meeting them.

Food businesses say their perishable goods are spoiling as courier drivers are run off their feet.

A power company says it has delayed a price increase that was planned to take effect during lockdown, but it doesn't appear to have told customers.

New Zealand's student body president says university halls that are still charging students for accommodation could be in breach of a new law designed to protect them.

Victoria University is asking students to pay a placeholder fee for rooms in its halls of residence - even though some cannot return yet.

Scientists are calling on kids to collect samples of grass for 10 weeks from within their neighbourhood bubble and store them in their freezer.

Some regions face the possibility they'll be left without air travel links post-Covid-19 as regional airlines drop down the Government's support list.

Thousands of planes lie dormant around the world - but shutting down a plane is a lot more complicated and time consuming than parking a car.

A family left out of pocket for a Europe trip is pleading with their agency to uphold a contract and refund their cash.

Small business owners say commercial rent relief is desperately needed if they are to survive past the Covid-19 disruptions.

On paper staying at home sounds simple, so why does it feel so hard? After one week of lockdown, psychologists say it's normal for people to be feeling trapped and isolated.

The rural community is banding together to help a Marlborough woman whose husband died suddenly, just as New Zealand entered lockdown.

Today, Saturday, Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield is taking a day off after fronting at least 40 conferences related to Covid-19.

Health staff are preparing for the reality they may have to treat people who have coronavirus and who also need emergency surgery.

New Zealanders are turning to Google to ask some of their Covid-19 related questions. Here's the top searches and answers compiled using official sources.

Stay connected, set boundaries and acknowledge there will be highs and lows, says a New Zealander who's been in lockdown in Italy for a month.

An Auckland man whose wife is going though chemotherapy is begging New Zealanders to "pause and think" before they leave the house and put other at risk.

Indoor weddings and funerals of more than 100 people are banned as the government tries to combat the spread of Covid-19.

A trial of a new emergency mental health team in Wellington aims to keep people out of hospital beds and police cells if they don't need to be there.