Morning Report for Thursday 5 March 2020

6:06 AM.New Zealand's Paul Coll has advanced to this afternoon's final of the Chicago Open with a four games win over Egyptian world No.4 Karim Gawad. Read more Audio

6:09 AM.Auckland secondary schools are reviewing their pandemic preparedness after two teens were put in isolation after a woman they knew tested positive for the covid-19 outbreak.

The students, who went to… Read more Audio

6:18 AM.Tauranga residents will be stung with a 12.6 percent rates rise the mayor says is essential because the fastest growing city in the country has fallen far behind on infrastructure spending.

The… Read more Audio

6:20 AM.A brief update from the business sector. Read more Audio

6:22 AM.News from the rural and farming sector. Read more Audio

6:38 AM.An infectious disease specialist says more people with coronavirus could already be in the community and might be silently transmitting the disease.

An Auckland woman has Covid-19 but wasn't… Read more Audio

6:43 AM.The restaurant industry in New Zealand estimate they're losing $6 million a week in revenue every week because of coronavirus.

Last week Tourism NZ received an $11 million boost to help lift visitor… Read more Audio

7:10 AM.A third person has tested positive for Covid-19.

Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield told Morning Report the positive test was returned on Wednesday night.

He says the person who tested… Read more Audio

7:18 AM.A group of cabinet ministers has met to discuss the government's response to the outbreack of Covid-19.

It's been decided in principle the stand down period for accessing benefits will be waived for… Read more Audio

7:24 AM.Former US vice president Joe Biden has made a comeback on Super Tuesday in the race to become the Democratic nominee to take on President Donald Trump.

He's overtaken Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders… Read more Audio

7:34 AM.A homicide inquiry is underway in Christchurch.

RNZ reporter Eleisha Foon is at the cordon in Riccarton Road. Read more Audio

7:35 AM.Two men whose lives have been tipped upside down by the 15 March mosque shootings are organising a football tournament to mark the one year anniversary.

Siraz Ali, who lost his father in the Al Noor… Read more Audio

7:38 AM.What to do with 10,000 tonnes of aluminium dross - so-called ouvea premix - stored in Mataura is causing a quandary for authorities, but just as vexing is how it came to be there.

The dross came to… Read more Audio

7:48 AM.A Wellington student says some people are using the Covid-19 coronavirus as a disguise for racism.

Louise Jiang is an actor in training at the New Zealand Drama School.

She told RNZ reporter Chen… Read more Audio

7:51 AM.Don't be put out if you lean in for a hongi at a pohiri in Wellington and the person leans away. Wellington mana whenua are asking people to excercise restraint in light of the second confirmed case… Read more Audio

7:53 AM.Misleading advertising over petrol discounts has cost Contact Energy a quarter of a million dollars.

The power company has been convicted in Wellington District Court after pleading guilty to seven… Read more Audio

8:06 AM.The New Zealand women's footballers are currently doing battle with Belgium in their opening game of the Algarve Cup in Portugal. Read more Audio

8:10 AM.A third case of coronavirus has been confirmed in New Zealand.

The director-general of health Ashley Bloomfield confirmed the new case earlier on Morning Report but would not say where it had been… Read more Audio

8:17 AM.Travel companies are seeing few cancellations from their customers despite airlines cutting back their services and countries tightening their borders against the spread of coronavirus.

In fact, many… Read more Audio

8:24 AM.The contentious fight for Māori water rights is ramping up a notch, as Māori groups prepare to test a new case in court. 

The Māori Council is the latest to announce that it is mounting a case for… Read more Audio

8:27 AM.The road to Milford Sound could soon be reopened to the public - but only at night.

Locals say a Transport Agency proposal is a step forward but many are frustrated that while they'll be limited to… Read more Audio

8:30 AM.A brief update on the movements in the financial sector. Read more Audio

8:38 AM.Joe Biden has emerged as the biggest winner in the Super Tuesday primaries in the United States, continuing his remarkable comeback in the Democrats' race for the White House.

The billionare Mike… Read more Audio

8:49 AM.Dentists want to know if they can carry on working should supplies of face masks run out.

The use of masks is compulsory and the Dental Association has asked its regulatory council whether they could… Read more Audio

8:52 AM.Two protestors are yet to be charged by police after boarding an oil rig as it travelled past Marlborough Sounds.

The activists from the movement Extinction Rebellion Otautahi boarded the vessel… Read more Audio

8:57 AM.Passengers and crew on a dolphin-watching cruise near Tauranga were treated to a rare sighting of a whale shark on Tuesday.

The whale shark is the world's largest fish and can grow up to 18 metres… Read more Audio