Travel
Largest of six sub-clusters grows to 58 cases across two cities
There are six sub-clusters associated with the latest outbreak, the largest of which has reached 58 cases, divided between Auckland and Wellington.
Calling Home: Leone Patterson in Alameda, California
Former Tall Ferns captain Leone Patterson's love affair with California began in the early 1980s. These days, she is based in Alemada, in the San Francisco Bay Area, where she has lived for almost 20… Audio, Gallery
Covid-19: What alert-level 4 lockdown means
Explainer - A new Covid-19 case in the community has prompted a nationwide lockdown. RNZ explains what is involved in the different alert levels.
Covid-19 outbreak: More Wellington sites, Spark Arena added to locations of interest
More locations of interest in Wellington have been revealed, as well as a Mitre 10 awards dinner at Spark Arena in Auckland.
Link to border eases concerns about other chains of transmission
New modelling shows the number of people infected in the community might reach 120 - as large as initially feared, Covid-19 modeller Professor Shaun Hendy says.
Lockdown travel window held open for Queenstown
Meanwhile travellers stranded in Queenstown have been given a temporary reprieve before the travel window is poised to slam shut.
Hundreds of people are in town trying to get back, but there have… Audio
Cook Islands close travel bubble, Kiwis hunker down
The quarantine free bubble with the Cook Islands has now closed because of the new cases of covid-19 in the community in New Zealand, and the Cook Islands PM has announced that they will be at alert… Audio
Air NZ races to get 50k people home under lockdown rules
Air New Zealand is racing to get 50,000 people home from around the country inside the 48-hour government deadline.
Chief executive Greg Foran told Checkpoint it is a tough ask to meet the deadline.
…Covid-19 grip on NSW stronger with 633 new cases
Covid-19's grip on New South Wales is getting stronger, with a record 633 daily cases and three deaths.
There's growing frustration over the increasing cases and why tougher restrictions aren't being… Video, Audio
The Big Bike Trip: from Bali to Buckingham Palace
What's the biggest bike trip you've done? Whether it's a few hours or a few days, it likely doesn't compare to the epic bike ride of Freddie Gillies. Alongside his brother and two friends, they cycled… Audio, Gallery
Calling Home: Sean Barry in Baku, Azerbaijan
Wellingtonian Sean Barry lives in Yasamal, which is a 10 minutes' walk from the centre of Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan. A teacher by trade, Sean lives in an apartment with his wife Jamila and… Audio, Gallery
Many desperate to return to NZ ignored in govt border news
Some people trying desperately to return to New Zealand feel like they've been missed out the government's latest border announcements.
The government plans to ease open the borders from early next… Audio
Questions raised over border reopening plans
By the middle of next year, the government says there'll no longer be such strict measures protecting the border, with vaccinated travellers allowed to skip managed isolation and quarantine in certain… Audio
Can enough NZers be vaccinated by 2022 to reopen the border?
The map to reopen New Zealand to the world is ready - but can we vaccinate enough people by the start of 2022 to make it possible? Many remain anxious about the prospect of preparing the return to… Audio
Covid-19: Home isolation trial short on detail, opposition says
The National and Green parties are asking questions of government plans to let some workers skip managed isolation, starting with a small scale trial this year.
'High degree of caution, rigour' expected with isolation trial - Export NZ
Businesses are queueing up to be part of a pilot scheme allowing vaccinated travelling workers to self-isolate at home. It's part of the government's road map to relaxing border restrictions by the… Audio
Tourism industry welcomes roadmap to reopen Aotearoa
The tourism industry is welcoming a new roadmap to reopen Aotearoa's borders next year while preparing for more tough times ahead.
Today, the Prime Minister announced the immediate focus is to ramp… Video, Audio
Covid-19 in Australia: New case puts Canberra in lockdown
Australia's Covid-19 crisis goes on - this afternoon Canberra was plunged into a week-long lockdown after the discovery of a new local infection.
New South Wales also continues to see high numbers… Audio
Covid-19: Govt unveils plan for future of NZ's border
A road map for reopening, but it's a long road, with plenty of potential pot holes along the way.
The government has unveiled a plan it says will see see the border reopen to some countries and under… Audio
Australia's Covid-19 outbreak 'probably means the end of the travel bubble'
As Australia grapples with the highly infectious Delta variant, experts say it is unlikely the trans-Tasman travel bubble will reopen.