Nine To Noon for Tuesday 7 April 2020

 

 

09:05 Data scientist says today could be turning point

A team of data scientists tracking the Covid 19 virus and advising the government, says today's new case update could be the turning point.Former Assistant Reserve Bank Governor and executive director of the economic think-tank, Motu,  John McDermott, is leading the data science team at Wigram Capital Advisors.The group's projections of what would have happened if the country had not gone into lockdown were cited by the Prime Minister on Sunday. Dr McDermott says if today's new cases are under 60, it could be the start of the curve flattening.

09:15 Covid-19 tracing plea. "Don't let lockdown be in vain"

Dr Ayesha Verrall, Infectious Diseases Doctor and Epidemiologist at the  University of Otago, Wellington says rapid, mass tracing is the single most important thing New Zealand can do to get out of lockdown and more importantly to stay out of it. She wants tracing to be scaled up, sped up, to become fully integrated, and augmented with smartphone apps. That means the ability to identify and trace the contacts of at least 1,000 cases a day. If not she warns the lockdown could be in vain.

09:25 Thousands of jobs at risk in the franchise sector

Business has dried up for the 35 thousand different franchise units nationwide. This includes retail shops, home services operators, tradies and fast food outlets.The sector employs more than 120 thousand people, and 74,000 are permanent full time workers. Kathryn talks about the situation with Callum Floyd, chair of the Franchise Association, Brad Jacobs, who owns and operates The Coffee Club in New Zealand and franchisee Joe Southon, who owns and operates two Carpet Court stores and the Floor Store in Thorndon.

09:35 ASB chief: 'Honest conversations' needed

ASB has told its customers genuine and honest conversations will be needed to help get them through the Covid-crisis, and that increasing levels of debt might not be the best option, long-term. It expects to lend close to $1 billion through the $6.2b Business Finance Guarantee Scheme. Over the past week Nine to Noon has been asking the heads of each of the big banks what they're doing to help their customers through the Covid-turmoil.  This morning, Kathryn talks to the chief executive of ASB, Vittoria Shortt.

09:45 USA correspondent Susan Davis 

US correspondent Susan Davis talks to Kathryn about America's ongoing spread of and response to the coronavirus, as President Trump's approval is slightly on the rise.

Susan Davis is a congressional correspondent for NPR and a co-host of the NPR Politics Podcast.

10:05  Sally Rippin: Billy B Brown turns 10

Beloved children's book character Billie B Brown is turning ten.  And her award-winning Australian creator Sally Rippin is celebrating with three new books, illustrated by Aki Fukuoka, to add to the twenty already on kids' bookshelves. The Billie B Brown series has now sold over five million world-wide, translated into 14 languages. Sally tells Kathryn Ryan how she was due to come to Auckland for the Writers Festival, but because of lock-down, is pouring her talents into an on-line school holiday programme instead.

10:35 Book review - Sharks in the Time of Saviours by Kawai Strong Washburn

Phil Vine reviews Sharks in the Time of Saviours by Kawai Strong Washburn, published by Penguin Random House.

10:45 The Reading

Goneville, episode 7. Written and read by Nick Bollinger.

11:05 Boris Johnson in ICU

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is now in intensive care after his coronavirus symptoms worsened.He'd been admitted to St Thomas' Hospital in London yesterday with "persistent symptoms”. A spokesperson said he was moved to intensive care on the advice of his medical team.Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has been deputised to take over "where necessary". Kathryn talks with UK correspondent Matt Dathan.

11:20 Business commentator Rod Oram

How NZ businesses are responding to the Covid-19 crisis with innovation amid severe financial and operational impacts.

11:30 Stansborough:  a warming woolly tale

Cheryl Eldridge takes Kathryn Ryan on a tour of  Stansborough Wool where they're using old fashion looms to make long lasting textiles made from wool that goes back to Viking days.

 

11:45 Media commentator Andrew Holden

Andrew talks to Kathryn about turbulence throughout the media sector.

Andrew Holden is a journalist for more than 30 years including five as Editor of The Press (in Christchurch) and four as Editor-in-Chief of The Age in Melbourne.