Checkpoint for Wednesday 12 August 2020

5:07 PM.As Auckland goes into Level 3 lockdown and New Zealand enters Level 2 lockdown following four positive Covid-19 cases in south Auckland, Health Minister Chris Hipkins joins Lisa Owen with the latest… Read more Video, Audio

5:17 PM.Auckland has ground to a halt today as people rushed out to get supplies, Covid tests, and work gear, as the level three restrictions came into place.

It was gridlock around the six testing centres… Read more Video, Audio

5:23 PM.The cold store company in Auckland where one worker has tested positive for Covid-19 is Americold NZ.

The worker is from its Mt Wellington plant which has now been closed down. The company has… Read more Video, Audio

5:33 PM.News from the business sector, including a market report. Video, Audio

5:36 PM.Air New Zealand has been preparing for how it will operate under Level 3 and Level 2 conditions.

The airline has rolled out a mandatory mask-wearing policy for all flights leaving Auckland.

… Read more Video, Audio

5:42 PM.Police are stopping every vehicle heading in and out of the Auckland region to try and stop the virus spreading any further.

There are nine checkpoints on the city's fringes, and only people who… Read more Audio

5:50 PM.Auckland's testing centres were inundated today as thousands of people lined up for Covid-19 tests.

Even the early birds who showed up as sites opened couldn't escape the queues that saw hundreds of… Read more Audio

5:55 PM.The shock Covid-19 lockdown has seen election season screech to a halt and may yet derail voting day altogether.

Parliament was due to terminate today, marking the official end of term and the start… Read more Audio

6:07 PM.Level 3 restrictions in our largest city means many businesses have been forced to shut their doors until at least midnight Friday, and for some it could be the final straw after struggling to keep… Read more Audio

6:14 PM.Nine police checkpoints have now been set up around the perimeter of Auckland, as its 1.6 million residents return to Level 3 lockdown.

With Auckland now ground zero for the community transmission… Read more Video, Audio

6:18 PM.The return to Covid-19 Alert Level 2 has been described a 'kick in the guts' for South Island businesses which were just getting back on their feet.

Last night's announcement triggered a flood of… Read more Audio

6:22 PM.Today's rapid move to Level 3 and Level 2 has in part been in a bid to avoid what's happening across the Tasman.

Victoria today recorded its deadliest day since the pandemic began - 21 deaths in the… Read more Audio

6:22 PM.The final round of netball's ANZ premiership has been called off due to the change in Covid-19 alert levels around the country.

Netball New Zealand has declared all matches a draw but still hopes to… Read more Audio

6:24 PM.In Wellington many supermarkets saw floods of shoppers stocking up on supplies, and retailers and cafes dusting off the old Covid-19 tracing posters and social distancing signs.

Despite Wellington… Read more Video, Audio