Covid 19
Midweek Mediawatch: 'Graph crime' - and corruption claims
In this week's Midweek Mediawatch, Hayden Donnell talks to Karyn Hay about a 'graph crime' amplifying anxieties about mental health - and what happened when the Herald's editors fronted up to readers'… Audio
Mother says there's conflicting info on interval of children's vaccine
A mother says health authorities should be more upfront with parents, after she was told she could take her children for second doses of the Covid-19 vaccine in half the official timeframe.
Govt cuts isolation requirements for Covid cases to 7 days
The government has slashed the isolation requirements for Covid cases by almost a third - as the rapacious spread of Omicron threatens to grind businesses to a halt.
More than 22,000 new cases were… Audio
Covid-19 update: 22,454 new community cases, 742 in hospital, four deaths
The Ministry of Health is reporting 22,454 new community cases of Covid-19 and four further deaths today, with 742 people in hospital with the virus.
Hipkins details changes to Covid case isolation
Isolation times for Covid cases is being cut from 10 days to seven.
It's to help keep the wheels turning around country as more people with the virus and their household contacts are stuck at home… Video, Audio
The Panel with Emma John and Sam Johnson (Part 2)
Panellists Emma John and Sam Johnson discuss the long-term damage of misinformation on society, people separating over anti-vaccination views, and the beauty of a good lawn. Audio
Catching Omicron not 'inevitable': Why the virus should still be avoided
Analysis - Aotearoa New Zealand has entered new Covid territory, characterised by high vaccination rates but also the rapid spread of the Omicron variant and rising numbers of hospitalisations.
The Panel with Emma John and Sam Johnson (Part 1)
Panellists Emma John and Sam Johnson discuss the extreme flooding in New South Wales, the strain for staff to keep schools running under omicron, and bank profits. Audio
The Pre-Panel with Emma John and Sam Johnson
Panellists Emma John and Sam Johnson answer Dear Panel letters and share what they have been thinking about. Audio
Covid-19 isolation period reduced to 7 days
The isolation period for Covid-19 cases and their household contacts is reducing to one week, down from 10 days, from this Friday.
Queenstown vaccination clinic to target those who received incorrectly stored doses
A pop-up, drive-through vaccination clinic will open this week in Queenstown after close to 1600 people received Covid-19 vaccines that were stored incorrectly.
Omicron brings Auckland tunnelling machine to a halt
The hold-up at Watercare's new Interceptor tunnel is just one casualty from the virus rampaging through the construction sector.
Health workers upset about reduced iso for Covid staff
New rules mean critical healthcare workers can return to work six days after being diagnosed with Covid-19 if they return two negative RAT tests.
And infected staff will be able to work on wards if… Audio
'Only individuals can judge how unwell they are', nurses union says
Unions representing healthcare workers have hit back at the Ministry of Health's announcement that critical healthcare workers can return to work six days earlier if they have two negative rapid…
Cleaning up Parliament after the protest - one week on
It's been almost a week since the anti-mandate protesters were cleared off Parliament's lawn and the surrounding streets.
Since then, there's been a massive clean up job underway to return the area… Video, Audio
US warns against travel to New Zealand due to rising Covid-19 cases
The United States' Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has today raised its travel advisory warning on travel to New Zealand.
Critical health staff with Omicron can now return to Covid ward
Critical health staff who are infected with Omicron can now return to work on Covid wards.
Infected staff who work in other hospital departments can also come back to work earlier - on day six if… Audio
Scans reveal how Covid-19 may change the brain
Even after a mild infection, the overall size of the brain had shrunk, researchers found.
Covid-19 in schools: 'This is nothing like lockdown, it's much harder'
In Bay of Plenty, 53 percent of schools reported positive Covid-19 cases in the last 10 days, according to Ministry of Education data released yesterday.
Abuse of Middlemore staff worsening, union says
A Middlemore Hospital worker and the nurses union say verbal abuse against health staff is worsening under Covid-19 visitor restrictions.
