Matthew Theunissen
Northland iwi leader fed up with disruptive anti-vax protestors
A Northland Iwi leader says people are fed up with the region being targetted by anti-vax protesters, who yesterday disrupted the flow of freight and the vaccination effort. A police officer was… Audio
Kiwi woman, stuck in Australia, fears pension will be cut
A Kiwi woman stuck in Brisbane after travelling there for medical treatment fears her pension will be cut if she doesn't make it home in the next few days. In ordinary circumstances pensions stop… Audio
202 Corrections unvaxxed staff won't be working from today
More than 200 Department of Corrections staff won't be going to work today because they are yet to have at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine. A public health order issued last month requires all… Audio
AK's MOTAT have social distancing plans in place for 100 guests
Auckland's museums could be able to dust off their exhibts and open their doors to the public from next week if the city moves to Alert Level 3 step 2 ... as the government's indicated. Our producer… Audio
AK councillor threatened over anti-vax violence
An Auckland Councillor has been advised not to attend events alone and to stop using her car because it has her face and name on it after she was threatened by three men outside a vaccination centre… Audio
NZ biotech company's device can tell if you need a Covid booster
A New Zealand-based biotech company wants to start mass producing a device which can tell you whether or not you need a Covid booster shot.
Orbis ultimately wants to see its "lab in a box" available… Audio
NZ company develops device to test Covid-19 immunity
New Zealand-based biotech company Orbis is on the brink of releasing a device that can test people's immunity to Covid-19 in just 15 minutes. The company -- a founder of which helped in the… Audio
Sir Ian Taylor trials business people isolating without MiQ
On Monday Sir Ian Taylor becomes one of the first New Zealanders since the start of the pandemic to be able to travel overseas and return without going through MIQ. He's one of 150 business people… Audio
Covid-19: The town with one of NZ's lowest vaccination rates
The Bay of Plenty of town, Murupara has one of the lowest rates of vaccination for Covid-19 in the country.
Just 32 percent of have had the first dose.
This compares to just over 80 percent first… Audio
Pasifika Covid survivor: Delta is no joke, get vaccinated
A Pasifika business leader who survived Covid-19 has put work to one side in order to get people vaccinated. Tuala Tagaloa Tusani and his partner Fionna both thought they were going to die from the… Audio
Pregnant people should be priority for MiQ spaces
The Green Party is calling for pregnant women and their partners to be allowed to get emergency managed isolation spots rather than relying on the MIQ lottery as is currently the case. First Up has… Audio
Victoria lifts lockdown Friday, opens borders to Sth Islanders
We begin in Australia where that State of Victoria is lifting its lockdown from Friday when the state should reach the milestone of 70 per cent of elegible people being fully vaccinated. This is… Audio
AK's Belmont Primary School has all teachers, staff vaxxed
Some Schools across the country have been preparing to have some difficult conversations with staff over the next few weeks if they won't get the mandatory Covid-19 vaccine for educators. But not so… Audio
How vaccination centres are helping the vax hesitant
Yesterday on First Up we heard from several Aucklanders who were hesitant about getting the vaccine, with some of them outright refusing to get it. If we're to be protected from Covid-19 we need… Audio
Vaccine hesitant Aucklanders on why they don't want jab
Close to 80 per cent of eligible New Zealanders have now had at least one dose of the Covid-19 Pfizer vaccine. But to what extent are people who are vaccine hesitant going to hamper efforts to… Audio
Double passport holders can work around MiQ lottery
A travel advisor has found that people with two passports are able to double their chances of getting a spot in the MIQ lottery. The next lot of MIQ rooms become available at 11 o'clock this morning… Audio
Concern over Covid cases in AK as parts of Waikato move to L3
Parts of Waikato joined Auckland in alert level 3 this morning after two mystery cases of Covid-19 were reported yesterday. The concerning news sees Raglan, Te Kauwhata, Huntly, Nga-rua-wahia and… Audio
Female bar-tailed godwit 4BYWW sets landbird flight record
A bar-tailed Godwit that's just touched down on the Firth of Thames has been confimed as having made the longest flight by a landbird ever recorded. The female, called 4BYWW, travelled non-stop from… Audio
Pregnant women should be categorised as urgent for MiQ spots
People will be able to vie for the next tranche of MIQ spots which become available tomorrow afternoon. It'll be just their second opportunity since the country was plunged into the Alert Level 4… Audio
Victoria experiences earthquake, causes structural damage
Victorian Authorities are warning residents of significant aftershocks following on from the magnitude 5.8 earthquake which shook Melbourne around 9am yesterday, causing significant structural damage… Audio