First Up for Wednesday 8 September 2021

5:53 AM.An Auckland councillor says footpaths and carparks should be utilised for outdoor dining during lockdowns. And Richard Hills says that with signs pointing to some form of level 2 for some time yet, we… Read more Audio

5:51 AM.As you've just heard in Ella's package, shops cafes, bars and museums throughout the country (not you Auckland) can open back up again with strict distancing and mask wearing rules. Darren Axe is the… Read more Audio

5:47 AM.As of 11.59pm last night, everywhere except Auckland moved to what the Prime Minister is calling Delta Level 2. Protocals in Delta Level 2 look a bit different from the Alert Level 2 of old. Our… Read more Audio

5:38 AM.Twenty-nine staff at Middlemore Hospital have been stood down and told to isolate for 14 days after a patient complaining of abdominal pain tested positive for Covid-19. Four wards at the hospital… Read more Audio

5:33 AM.Road hauliers say they still don't have clarity about a new requirement that they be tested every week if they travel through Auckland, fearing it could result in costly delays. The government… Read more Audio

5:25 AM.Abba released a couple of new songs this week and quite frankly, not one of them was a Dancing Queen .. not even a Put On Your White Sombrero But we have enlisted the help of Podcast Guru, and friend… Read more Audio

5:15 AM.First Up producer Ellie Jay swears that Night at the Museum is a cinematic masterpiece, but what was happening inside 'our' museums at night when they were shut due to Covid? Courtney Johnston is Tumu… Read more Audio

5:10 AM.With the Olympics and Paralympics done, Tokyo is left with soaring Covid-19 cases and a government in strife. Nathan Rarere asked our correspondent in Japan, Chris Gilbert, what it's like in the city… Read more Audio

5:06 AM.Let's begin in Australia where Prime Minister Scott Morrison is under-fire for a bubble breaking Father's day flight to see his kids in Sydney. Nathan Rarere spoke with our Australian correspondent… Read more Audio