Checkpoint for Wednesday 25 March 2020

6:55 PM.RNZ reporter Charlotte Cook joins Lisa Owen with more answers to common questions as New Zealand enters a four-week lockdown to stop the spread of Covid-19. Video, Audio

6:50 PM.Small communities fear their limited resources will be pushed to their limits by city-dwellers escaping to their baches during the lockdown.

From 11:59pm Wednesday, New Zealanders will need to stay… Read more Audio

6:48 PM.Children's charity KidsCan is hoping it will be able to operate as an essential service during the nationwide lockdown and says demand from schools for food supplies has risen sharply in just the last… Read more Video, Audio

6:40 PM.The head of New Zealand's largest bank is reassuring customers there is plenty of cash in the ATMs and the financial system is sound, as economists warn of a shock which could dwarf the Global… Read more Audio

6:13 PM.New Zealand is in a State of Emergency and the country is going into lockdown, as people isolate to stop the spread of Covid-19.

What does this mean for the country's biggest cities?

Lisa Owen hears… Read more Video, Audio

6:08 PM.The Government has declared a national state of emergency due to the threat from Covid-19, giving police and other state agencies sweeping powers to enforce lockdown to stop the spread of the disease.

5:55 PM.The Covid-19 pandemic has officially put an end to the world sport's biggest event running this year.

The International Olympic Committee have confirmed the 2020 Tokyo Games - which were set to start… Read more Audio

5:43 PM.Tens of thousands of business have closed their doors and will not open them again for at least another four weeks.

The only exceptions are those designated essential services - including… Read more Video, Audio

5:37 PM.As businesses brace for the lockdown, many are still scrambling to figure out if they're allowed to open as "essential services" over the coming weeks.

The government has released a list of… Read more Audio

5:35 PM.News from the business sector, including a market report. Audio

5:26 PM.It is an unprecedented day in New Zealand's history as the country goes into full lockdown on Wednesday at 11.59pm.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern joins Lisa Owen to discuss the latest issues. Read more Video, Audio

5:20 PM.As New Zealand prepared for the lockdown to stop the spread of Covid-19, supermarkets around the country faced the chaos of panic buying, and complaints about price rises. 

One of the most popular… Read more Video, Audio

5:07 PM.Border restrictions have stepped up a notch in the final hours before a nationwide lockdown.

All New Zealanders travelling back from overseas will now be screened and sent to an approved facility to… Read more Audio

4:55 PM.Supermarkets and food retailers deny they've increased their prices, as panic buyers continue to strip shelves of the basics.

Some customers have taken to social media to complain that prices of… Read more Audio

4:49 PM.Air New Zealand increased its number of domestic flights today so as many people as possible can get home for the country goes into lockdown.

From 11:59 Wednesday night only staff working in… Read more Audio

4:41 PM.A pregnant woman who is due to give birth during the nation-wide shutdown says she fears being forced into having a homebirth.

Twenty-seven-year-old Fili Tagaloa says she knows of other pregnant… Read more Audio

4:38 PM.The Royal College of GPs is calling for the rationing of data and phone calls.

Phone and internet traffic has ramped up this week as people spend more time at home.

Vodafone says it has seen a 70… Read more Audio

4:32 PM.The wheels of justice are still turning in a handful of courthouses around the country - albeit much slower than normal. Courts have been deemed an essential service and will continue to run at a… Read more Video, Audio

4:27 PM.Food banks are bracing themselves for increased demand over the next four weeks, as the country goes into lockdown.

Some say they've already had more people coming in for help over the last few days… Read more Audio

4:24 PM.How do you stay competitive in a lockdown when your office is the swimming pool?

Twenty-year-old swimmer Lewis Clareburt was to be New Zealand's great hope in Tokyo.

He has already shown what he's… Read more Video, Audio

4:17 PM.Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is urging New Zealanders to act like you have Covid-19 - that is the best way to isolate properly during the lockdown.

RNZ reporter Charlotte Cook joins us with answers… Read more Video, Audio

4:13 PM.As the nation prepares for lockdown, Christchurch's leaders says their city is prepared.

Over the past ten years Christchurch has dealt with it's fair share of crisis, from earthquakes, Port Hills… Read more Audio

4:06 PM.A State of Emergency has been declared as New Zealand prepares for the four-week lockdown to stop the spread of Covid-19. RNZ political editor Jane Patterson has the latest details from Wednesday… Read more Video, Audio