Sunday Morning for Sunday 12 April 2020

*Between 7am-8am RNZ National will be broadcasting the Easter Sunday church service.

8:13 Covid-19: Who are the lonely in New Zealand? 

The lockdown period has reinforced the notion that humans are a social species who are not designed to be alone. Yet more and more people are feeling isolated and lonely, especially people in the 15-24 age group. Victoria University PhD candidate Hannah Hawkins-Elder has worked extensively on the topic of loneliness.

8:27 Covid-19: Strong support for introduction of curfew

Research New Zealand continues to take the pulse of the nation through the Covid-19 lockdown. The latest survey conducted by the group shows that more people now fear they will lose their jobs, and more Kiwis think a 10pm curfew should be put in place through the remainder of the lockdown period.

8:38 Professor Gary McLean: International Covid-19 update 

New Zealander Gary McLean is a professor in molecular immunology at London Metropolitan University who specialises in infectious diseases, immunology and antibody engineering. He joins the show to look at the big talking points in a week that saw global cases of Covid-19 move past the 1.5 million mark.

9:06 Mediawatch

This week Mediawatch looks at calls in the media to loosen the Covid-19 lockdown - and claims that lives can’t always be saved no matter what the cost. Also: news of readers coughing up to support journalism - and ‘Covidiots’ and ‘Corona Clowns' in the spotlight. Produced and presented by Colin Peacock and Hayden Donnell.

9:37 3MM: Reverend Frank Ritchie on Easter in lockdown

Three Minutes Max, New Zealand commentators with succinct opinions. Reverend Frank Ritchie reckons the centuries old story of Easter has some good parallels to the situation we find ourselves in now due to Covid-19.

9:41 Professor Michael Baker answers your Covid-19 questions 

Public health expert professor Michael Baker from the University of Otago, Wellington, is with us again on Sunday Morning to discuss the latest in the battle against Covid-19 and answer your questions and ours as New Zealand enters the third week of the month-long lockdown period. Email sunday@rnz.co.nz or text 2101

10:06 Inside the world of doomsday preppers 

Acclaimed anthropologist and cultural geographer Bradley Garrett spent four years with people preparing for the end of the world while researching his new book, Bunker: Building for the End Times. While writing his ultimately sadly-timed book about people preparing for the Apocalypse, Garrett says he has been preparing for an event like the Covid-19 pandemic unfolding.

10:39 Linda Clark and Michael Barnett on the impact of Covid-19 in NZ 

Assuming it ends on schedule, New Zealand moved past the halfway point of the Alert Level 4 lockdown this week. And while Covid-19 researchers are suggesting that restrictions could be lifted in some regions in the coming weeks, it will be a very different New Zealand that emerges after this. Panellists Linda Clark and Michael Barnett join the show to discuss this impact the pandemic is having in this country.

11:05 What can novels tell us about getting away with murder?

Writer Peter Swanson says there are eight examples of the perfect murder in fictional writing, and they have a lot in common with well-executed magic. Swanson’s latest novel, Rules for Perfect Murder, highlights a series of unsolved murders with one thing in common: each of the deaths bears an eerie similarity to the crimes depicted in classic mystery novels.

11:27 Sam Neill delivering Covid-19 messages of hope 

Iconic Kiwi actor Sam Neill was filming in Morocco when the Covid-19 pandemic started to take hold. He made it as far as Australia, and now can’t return to New Zealand without sitting out a 14-day isolation period at an approved facility. He’s been sending songs and messages of hope from his popular Twitter account to fans throughout the world.

11:37 Trying To Get Home: Kylie Eastman in Chhattisgarh, India

In place of our regular Calling Home segment this week, we are speaking to another Kiwi trying to get back home amid the Covid-19 crisis. Kylie Eastman and her family were visiting relatives in the Indian state of Chhattisgarh when it went into lockdown. They haven’t been able to leave the house for three weeks, and are uncertain when they will be able to get a flight out of the country.

11:44 Struggling school prepares for distance learning in lockdown

Mayfair School in Hastings has been at the coalface of the struggle with poverty in recent years, with many local families having a hard time providing the basic necessities for their children. Principal Ricardo Fox talks to Jim about how the school community has been dealing with lockdown, and how they are preparing for distance learning after the government’s announcement it will be spending $88.7 million to support schools around the country.

11:51 Al Brown: urban foraging for feijoas amid lockdown

You might have noticed feijoas popping up around the neighbourhood when you’re out on your daily lockdown walk. Chef and restaurateur Al Brown reckons the ones that hang over people’s boundaries are fair game, and he has a great feijoa cake recipe to share that is super simple.