Afternoons for Tuesday 7 April 2020

1:10 Live coverage of the Ministry of Health's latest Covid Update

An update from the Government on Covid 19 - speakers today are Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Dr Ashley Bloomfield, Director-General of Health.

1:27 Growing the virus responsible for COVID-19

A laboratory at the University of Otago is undertaking research to isolate and grow the virus responsible for COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, using samples taken from infected people.

It’s the only lab growing and directly working on the novel coronavirus in New Zealand.

We speak to the research team leader Professor Miguel Quinones-Mateu.

1:35 The need for physical contact

We’re almost two weeks into the lockdown now, and many people will be missing human touch due to the social distancing rules.

We speak to Sarita Das, a somatic sex educator who is running free online sessions for people who are struggling with the lack of physical contact of any kind. 

1:45 Lindon Puffin's lockdown song

Christchurch singer songwriter Lindon Puffin, who was a finalist in last years RNZ Write an Original Christmas Song Competition, has written a song about being stuck in lockdown.

1:50 Cycling every street in New Zealand

John Randal is on a mission to cycle every street in New Zealand, and this plan is the subject of a short film called A Good Sort of Mad. 

The project has been put on hold due to the lockdown.

We speak to John who's at home in Karori.

2:10 Claire Mabey's lockdown reading 

Claire Mabey, Director of Verb Wellington reviews The Animals in that Country by Laura Jean McKay, Tilly and the Bookwanderers by Anna James and Sarah Laing's COVID diaries.

2:20 Album openers for the ages with Simon Sweetman 

How do you get an album started and how has that process changed? Albums as a medium have survived the changes in medium from vinyl through to digital. Music critic Simon Sweetman joins Anna to dig into why and to play some of his picks for the best album opener ever written. 

3:10 Investigating the Tiger King and other big cat collectors

There are likely more pet tigers in America than there are left in the wild. The bizarre world of exotic animal collection is in the spotlight thanks to a binge worthy Netfix series about a big cat collector convicted of a murder-for-hire plot to kill an animal rights activist trying to shut him down.

Journalist Rachel Nuwer takes us further into the world of people who keep lions and tigers and other big cats as pets. Her newest series is Cat People : Longreads

 

3:30 Spoken Feature: Eyewitness Remembering Carmen Rupe

On Eyewitness - behind the life of entertainer, entrepreneur and transgender advocate, Carmen Rupe. 
 

 

3:45 The Panel with Ali Mau and Alan McElroy