Checkpoint for Friday 24 September 2021

5:08 PM.Some of the country's most prominent Covid-19 minds are calling on the government to radically rethink the managed isolation and quarantine setup in Auckland.

The current outbreak, which has seen… Read more Audio

5:12 PM.Auckland has cracked a vaccination milestone; 81 percent of the eligible population's had one dose of Pfizer.

There is a push this weekend to get more vaccinated. The carrot is a possible alert level… Read more Video, Audio

5:20 PM.The man accused of murdering and sexually violating a woman with Down Syndrome on her morning walk in clear daylight appeared in court today, entering no plea and keeping his name secret.

… Read more Audio

5:23 PM.Police have issued a warning to Aucklanders ahead of the weekend - level 3 is not level free.

As the city faces its first weekend with slightly looser restrictions, police are reminding those in… Read more Video, Audio

5:29 PM.The government wants to introduce tougher safety rules for adventure activity operators, in response to the deadly 2019 Whakaari eruption.

Forty-seven people - most of them tourists - were on the… Read more Audio

5:30 PM.Heading out for a jog this weekend? Spare a thought for Nick Ashill, because by the time you roll out of bed he will probably have been running 24 hours straight.

The Victoria University marketing… Read more Video, Audio

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

5:47 PM.Christchurch Airport has today released analysis showing Tarras - a small Central Otago farming settlement - can support an international airport.

The airport - which is owned by Christchurch City… Read more Audio

5:50 PM.The Silver Ferns face a mammoth task to hold onto the Taini Jamison Trophy when they take on England in the deciding Test in Christchurch tonight.

The Ferns confirmed this afternoon that injury has… Read more Video, Audio

6:10 PM.The wage subsidies bill for the latest lockdowns across Aotearoa has reached $2.5 billion, but requests for support are dropping as restrictions ease.

Nita Blake-Persen has the story.  Read more Audio

6:12 PM.Cook Islands' tourism industry is facing a blow from New Zealand's outbreak. It's been five and a half weeks since Aotearoa went into lockdown and most Kiwi visitors who planned to wait it out, have… Read more Audio

6:18 PM.The government has been handed a good report card for its work in the mental health system but has been criticised by the opposition for reviewing itself.

The Implementation Unit is housed in the… Read more Audio

6:25 PM.The emergency contraceptive pill, or morning after pill, normally comes at a cost of at least $40 at New Zealand pharmacies.

But across Northland, it is free. For the last two years, the DHB has… Read more Audio