Covid 19

There has been disappointment and frustration for the 22,000 New Zealanders trying to get home through the MIQ system who missed out on places this morning.

Police have arrested two gang associates they say were trying to get past Auckland's border on a back road, with a large quantity of cash and KFC.

Phil Goff wants the region shifted down to alert level 3 this week, and says the cost to stay at level 4 is too high. Audio

Three household members of a remand prisoner with Covid-19 have tested positive for the virus, Ministry of Health says.

As Auckland waits to hear if it will move down an alert level this week, the prime minister assured the country the level four lockdown is working, even with a small rise in cases the past two days.

Surges in Covid-19 cases in several US states and staffing and equipment shortages, are exacting a mounting toll on hospitals and their workers, leading to warnings that care would be rationed.

Level four lockdowns could become a thing of the past if Covid-19 vaccination rates are high enough, the health minister has signalled.

A couple has been arrested for using false information to pass the southern Tāmaki Makaurau border to stay in Taupo, and a group was caught fishing in Mission Bay.

Lockdowns and restrictions have pushed some families and groups to the bone financially, and the government needs to offer better support, social support groups say.

The number of new community cases of Covid-19 has jumped after several days of falling numbers, with 20 new cases reported in Auckland today.

The Nation apart from Auckland to drop to level 2, officials concerned about sharp drop in testing numbers while new case numbers remain at 20.

Twenty-seven people have now died from Covid-19 in New Zealand, with the death of a woman in North Shore Hospital last night. See how the rest of the day's Covid-19 news developed with RNZ's live…

Drivers are being asked to keep an eye out for road crews, with work resuming on highways in much of the country.

Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield says case numbers may have risen since yesterday, but the bounce was similar to that seen in the first outbreak last year and average numbers were still…

More room is being made for Covid-19 patients in two Auckland hospitals, but the country's head of health rejects criticism hospitals aren't prepared, and says case numbers look set to fall. Audio