Covid 19

As Auckland heads into its ninth week of tight Covid restrictions some Auckland business owners are having to re-mortgage their homes, dig into retirement funds or simply ignore the bills stacking up… Video, Audio

A new Northland town has popped up as a Covid-19 location of interest.

The AA driver and vehicle licensing centre in Kerikeri is believed to be linked to the two Auckland women who travelled North… Audio

Northland and parts of Waikato will stay in lockdown for at least another five days. Right now health authorities cannot rule out unchecked Covid-19 transmission in the community.

The stumbling block… Video, Audio

A new mum is in MIQ limbo at Wellington Hospital after giving birth to a baby boy at just 26 weeks. New Zealander Ferne Grady, who now lives in Perth, was visiting family in Palmerston North in July… Audio

Super shot Saturday is coming, and it will all be broadcast on a screen near you. The government is taking a page out of the history books, with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announcing 'vaxathon' - a… Audio

It's been almost nine weeks in the trenches for Auckland businesses physically shut due to Covid restrictions and still there's no date for when they will be able to open to customers.

There are… Audio

Parents spoken to by Checkpoint have given a tick of approval on the decision to keep schools closed and mandate vaccinations for teachers.

But it does mean even more time at home and almost two… Video, Audio

At least 8,500 more people have ended up on the benefit since the start of the delta outbreak.

While job losses have been nowhere near as severe as the first national lockdown in March last year… Audio

A shakeup of the Commonwealth Games programme has left some sports worried about their future in the event.

From 2026 the number of compulsory sports will drop from 16 to two - just athletics and… Audio

The country's largest union appears hesitant to see more vaccination mandates rushed through Cabinet.

Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins has announced school staff and high-risk health workers… Video, Audio

Get ready for a blast from the past. The government is turning back the clock to try to wind up vaccine rates across the country.

A telethon will hit New Zealand screens this Saturday, although this… Audio

There are fears Covid may be spreading undetected in Northland after a second woman who visited illegally from Auckland tested positive for the virus.

She was tracked down by police officers last… Audio

Newmarket Business Association chief executive Mark Knoff Thomas has told Checkpoint the government does not fully understand how small businesses in Auckland are suffering in the Delta outbreak… Video, Audio

There is a tale of two spreadsheets - one healthier than expected, the other needing urgent help.

In Wellington, the government threw open its books, talking of reliance and pandemic bounce-back… Audio

How will our hospitals cope with an increase in patients with Covid-19? And how quickly could they become overwhelmed? One hundred extra ICU or high dependency units have been added in the past year… Audio

Professor Michael Baker says it's been a poor week for clarity and communication, and he's imploring the government to sort out the direction we are heading.  Audio

In his new book, Mustn't Grumble: The Surprising Science of Everyday Ailments and Why We're Always a Bit Ill, award-winning science writer Graham Lawton covers over 100 ailments and explains the… Audio

West Aucklander Dawn O'Connor lives in Brussels, Belgium, where she has been based since 2018. She joins Jim for Calling Home. Audio