Morning Report for Friday 20 August 2021

6:10 AM.An Auckland vaccination clinic its doing about half the numbers it was before the lockdown - but is relieved to be back up and running.

Many clinics resumed again after a one day pause to get alert… Read more Audio

6:39 AM.We've heard a lot about the 'team of five million,' but this past week people have started talking about a 'team of four million' - which is to say, the number of unvaccinated New Zealanders.

Our… Read more Audio

6:46 AM.Dozens of people have taken advantage of a pop-up Covid-19 vaccination clinic in Waitara in North Taranaki set up to boost immunisation rates following the community outbreak of the Delta variant in… Read more Audio

7:08 AM.A 22nd case of Covid-19 in the community has been confirmed overnight.

That person is a young man who is receiving treatment in Waitakere Hospital. In the past few days, he had visited North Shore… Read more Audio

7:18 AM.People outside Auckland and Coromandel find out today if they'll be staying in alert level 4.

Cabinet meets today to make that decision which will be announced at 3pm on Friday.

At least one public… Read more Audio

7:21 AM.The genomic link between the outbreak and Australia was confirmed by the Government yesterday.

Genomic testing results traced the Covid-19 outbreak back to a potential source - a traveller from… Read more Audio

7:24 AM.Everyone is waiting to see whether the country is going to stay under tight Covid-19 restrictions, after Cabinet meets today to decide whether to lift the lockdown outside of Auckland and the… Read more Audio

7:27 AM.Testing centres in Auckland are expected to be busy again today.

Yesterday was the busiest for testing staff since the outbreak in August last year, with queues and hours-long waits commonplace at… Read more Audio

7:34 AM.Those who found themselves out of town when lockdown was announced, now have until midnight tonight to get home.

The original 48-hour travel window threatened to leave hundreds stranded as they… Read more Audio

7:36 AM.While most people seem to be taking Covid-19 restrictions into their stride, some continue to have difficulty.

Two people were arrested in the Far North yesterday, for example, for refusing to wear a… Read more Audio

7:42 AM.Wastewater testing is playing an important detective role around the country as health authorities race to find out whether Covid-19 cases have spread from Auckland.

Public health professor Philip… Read more Audio

7:47 AM.Retailers say they're being left in the dark about what they can sell online under Alert Level 4.

Only 'essential' consumer products for contactless home delivery are permitted, but the definition of… Read more Audio

7:53 AM.The Transport Agency spent more than $180,000 advertising the Clean Car Discount during the first month of the policy.

The advertising paid for print and radio ads, as well as posters, flyers and… Read more Audio

7:56 AM.The much-awaited new album 'Solar Power' by New Zealand singer Lorde is released today.

The Grammy award winner from Devonport in Auckland spoke to Charlotte Ryan for Music 101, from her apartment in… Read more Audio

8:10 AM.New Zealanders find out today if the Covid-19 lockdown is going to be extended.

A three-day alert level four is set to end tonight for everyone outside Auckland and Coromandel.

So far there are 21… Read more Audio

8:16 AM.Cabinet has agreed to make the Pfizer vaccine available for 12-15 year olds from 1 September.

This after Medsafe - following the lead of many of its overseas counterparts - gave a provisional… Read more Audio

8:21 AM.Dairies are frustrated new Covid-19 provisions for supermarket workers, like vaccine priority and Police support, aren't being extended to smaller grocers.

Sunny Kaushal, chair of the Dairy and… Read more Audio

8:25 AM.It's shaping up to be another big day at testing centres in Auckland this morning.

Guyon Espiner spoke to Jean Bell, who was at the testing station in New Lynn. Read more Audio

8:39 AM.New South Wales is "learning to live" with the Delta strain, the state's Premier said, as she confirmed yesterday another record for daily Covid-19 cases.

The raging crisis there, forming the basis… Read more Audio

8:44 AM.Lockdown has come at one of the worst possible times for plant nurseries.

The businesses should be busy delivering late winter planting crop to clients around the country, now there's a risk that… Read more Audio

8:52 AM.Military personnel have now left New Zealand to help with evacuation efforts from Afghanistan.

Nobody will follow their progress with greater feeling than Tina Grant, whose husband, Corporal Doug… Read more Audio

8:57 AM.Today marks the 50th anniversary of the first Kentucky Fried Chicken opening in New Zealand, in Auckland's Royal Oak, on 20 August 1971.

KFC, as it's now known, was followed by Pizza Hut in September… Read more Audio