Podcasts about response minister chris hipkins

The government will scrap many of the extraordinary powers used during the pandemic such as lockdowns, mandates and managed isolation. Just a small number of baseline measures will remain in place to contain the spread of the virus. The government is also signalling it will set up an inquiry into its Covid-19 response, although it is yet to announce specific plans. Acting Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins spoke to Corin Dann.

Former Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins has formally apologised to New Zealand journalist Charlotte Bellis after releasing personal information without her consent, making incorrect statements and for the "distress" the process caused.National Party leader Christopher Luxon has penned an opinion piece in the NZ Herald saying 'Gangs shouldn't decide when to cease fire'.Newstalk ZB chief political reporter Jason Walls joined Heather du Plessis-Allan to discuss.LISTEN ABOVE

Former Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins has apologised to Charlotte Bellis for comments made regarding her MIQ application. The journalist went public with her struggle to secure an MIQ spot to get home from Afghanistan while pregnant. Hipkins has previously refused to apologise for his comments over her case. Deputy Political Editor Craig McCulloch spoke to Susie Ferguson.

Winter is coming and New Zealand will remain at the Orange setting to keep the Omicron outbreak under control. Meanwhile, Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins says cases are expected to spike in the colder months. The government will review the settings in late June. University of Auckland computational biologist David Welch spoke to Corin Dann.

New Zealand is entering its first day in the new, more relaxed orange traffic light setting of the pandemic response. The orange mode abolishes capacity limits and seating rules at restaurants and other venues, but face masks must still be used on public transport and in retail. Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins yesterday said positive signs including a fall in new case numbers meant it was time to relax restrictions and depart from the red setting. At the zaniest Covid press conference of 2022, Hipkins forgot what new mask rules were and was asked about allowing "pashing" in nightclubs but enforcing mask use in shops. Many people are now expected to start returning to workplaces, in some cases after months working from home. "There's definitely excitement from workplaces and businesses, with good reason," clinical psychologist Dr Dougal Sutherland told the Herald. But he said a return to the office for thousands of people could present major mental health challenges. For many, working from home was now normalised and some might struggle with long commutes and other realities of working at the office, Sutherland said. He said some staff would be eager to keep working from home at least part of the time. "Research around it shows a few days at home are really good for people's wellbeing and productivity. From one to three or four days at home seems to be the sweet spot." Companies should establish long-term plans to help employee mental health after the turmoil of lockdowns, Sutherland said. "We have made an awful lot of adjustments." Businesses were largely expected to welcome the move to orange after growing weary of restrictions the red setting imposed. Ahead of the announcement, Auckland mayor Phil Goff and business leaders Michael Barnett and Viv Beck all told the Herald they were hoping for a move to orange. But perceived anomalies of the new traffic light setting left a major retail group fuming. Retail NZ chief executive Greg Harford said a lack of progress on mask-wearing rules was infuriating. "While it is good news that the country is moving to orange, it is absurd that the Government is removing mask requirements in the hospitality and education sectors, but keeping them for retail." He said it was ridiculous to suggest masks were needed more in socially-distanced retail settings than in crowded nightclubs, classrooms or cafés. "Masks are a source of significant anger and aggression from members of the public," Harford added. National Party leader Christopher Luxon said the trouble Hipkins had articulating the latest mask advice showed the traffic light system was too complex. "It underscores that it's got very, very confusing very, very quickly. "Fundamentally it's a complication and confusion," he added. "I'm just looking forward to having a mask-free dinner with my wife." "The traffic light system is redundant," Act leader David Seymour said. "The Government has dismantled their own system to the point it has no reason to exist." He said the system was enacted to control crowd limits, encourage vaccination and for contact tracing - but none of those elements were relevant anymore. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said moving to orange was "fantastic" and would bring benefits today for the hospitality industry especially. Ardern said people generally knew it was sensible to wear masks in supermarkets or other retail outlets. "Generally, I encourage people to keep using them where it's practical," the PM added. Hospitalisations were well down on previous weeks. In Auckland each of the three hospitals had fewer than 100 patients with Covid-19 for the first time since late February. University of Otago epidemiologist Prof Michael Baker was confident Auckland had passed the Omicron peak, but other regions were still seeing high case numbers. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Covid-19 Minister Chris Hipkins is continuing to champion masks, after some requirements were loosened. New Zealand is now at the orange traffic light setting, which means all gathering limits have gone and customers no longer have to be separated and seated to be served at hospitality venues. Masks are still required in retail stores and on public transport, but no longer in restaurants or schools.  Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins told Morning Report the move to not require masks in hospitality is because people can choose to be there. "People have to go to the supermarket in order to survive. So, you're going to have elderly people, you're going to have people who are immuno-compromised, who would be very vulnerable if they got Covid-19, and so, requiring masks there helps to protect them." Hipkins said it would be up to individual schools to decide whether masks were needed, and it could depend on a lot of factors. He said opening the windows will ventilate rooms properly, and in winter opening them as much as a centimetre would help clean the air, although this may not be possible for all schools. "There's going to be a limited number of cases where it's not [an option], where you've got schools that are covered in snow for example, it's not a practical option. "So, we will make sure that they have portable air cleaners to cover those sorts of settings."

Speaking with Lloyd Burr is Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins. Lloyd asks Hipkins why there were no setting changes in today's 4pm announcement. "We're looking really closely on a daily basis at how the overall response is tracking. "We've indicated that we are going to do another review next week, because we are seeing things pointing in the right direction. "We do have to recognise that there are still a lot of people catching Covid, and there are still a lot of people getting very sick from Covid, and ultimately it's not just about hospitalisations - we actually want to reduce the number of people and minimise the number of people who are getting Covid-19. "Bearing in mind again, for businesses, the more people who have Covid-19 - that's fewer consumers, so we actually do want to try and get the numbers heading steeply down," says Hipkins.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hundreds of entertainers including dozens of DJs were handed border exceptions last year, in what a lobby group says highlights the shambolic nature of MIQ.The New Zealand Taxpayers' Union said 316 foreign entertainers, including 64 DJs, were "fast-tracked" through managed isolation last year.An Official Information Act response showed the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment granted the critical worker border exceptions."Techno performers like DJ Dimension and Dom Dolla hogged rooms in MIQ facilities while Kiwis were barred from seeing their families," taxpayers' union spokesman Louis Houlbrooke said.He added: "How can anyone defend dishing out exemptions to dubstep and hip-hop DJs while slamming the door shut on nurses that we desperately need?"Houlbrooke said any claims the entertainers brought a wider benefit to the national or regional economy did not stack up."MIQ has wound down for Kiwis, but the Government's cruel and irrational zero-sum game remains in place for international visitors," he said.Forty-six people were granted a critical purpose visa for summer festivals in December, January and February.Of people invited to apply for visas over summer, 15 had been invited to apply for visas once before and two had been invited to apply for visas twice before.DJ Dimension late last year said he was devastated to learn he had tested positive for Omicron while in New Zealand.The DJ, real name Robert Etheridge, said he received hate and abuse after testing positive. View this post on Instagram A post shared by DIMENSION (@dimension) Etheridge admitted to leaving self-isolation early without receiving the result of his day 9 test, which later returned a positive result.The UK-based electronic music artist was due to perform at Rhythm & Alps near Wānaka before he abruptly pulled out not long before he was due to take the stage.Before heading south he spent several hours in the community on Boxing Day - visiting places including a nightclub and bar, restaurants and a jewellery store.Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins this week unveiled a timeline for the dismantling of most MIQ facilities.Only four out of 32 staying in the network from the end of June.The announcement upset some MIQ hotel workers, with Unite Union saying staff learned of the timeline through media, and would lose weekly MIQ allowances of about $80.

Unvaccinated children are now allowed to take part in school sports and other extracurricular activities.Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins clarified the rules this morning.NZR say that club sport should be included in these changes as well.NZR General Manager Steve Lancaster joined Andrew Dickens.LISTEN ABOVE

Members of some Auckland households are having to isolate in campervans. There are also reports of households that have families of 10-plus, staying in isolation periods for up to 45 days. In Phase Two, the self-isolation period for cases reduces from 14 days to 10 days, and for contacts from 10 days to seven. Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins told Mike Hosking he acknowledges it could be quite difficult for bigger households. “You're going to have people potentially passing it from one person to the next and it could spread through that family.” LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Isolation requirements for those entering the country from Australia are about to become much more flexible. A seven day self isolation period will begin at the end of the month, for vaccinated New Zealanders travelling from Australia. The government's announced they need to head straight from the airport to their accommodation with no stops on the way, and wear a mask. However, those isolating can form a bubble with family or friends, who can continue to go to work or school. No visitors will be allowed and they must minimise contact with others as much as possible. The Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins says the changes reflect country entering a new phase of the Covid response. The changes will also cut the red tape around temporarily leaving isolation in special circumstances. Some eligible groups approved by Sports NZ or the Ministry of Culture and Heritage will be able to train or rehearse outside of their place of self-isolation. The Minister also said there will be a time when the self-isolation requirements will not be needed, but would not say what the threshold would be.

Chris Hipkins isn't sure what needs to happen before the country can drop self-isolation requirements. A phased reopening of the border will begin from February 28, replacing MIQ with self-isolation. Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins told Mike Hosking at the moment, it would be crystal ball gazing to decide when to allow completely free movement over the border. “You can have models, but until you actually see the reality of what we're going to face over the next few months it's very difficult to make those decisions.” LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins says people travelling to New Zealand do not currently need to have had their booster shots, but he's not ruling it out for the future. He spoke to Checkpoint about the plans to reopen the border, including self-isolation, which he says will heavily rely on "people doing the right thing".

Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins is warning the public to expect large number of Covid-19 cases, and not to rely on masks to stop it. The entire country is now in red traffic light setting with the news announced yesterday that Omicron is likely spreading in the community. Hipkins told Morning Report that "the cat is out of the bag" and there will likely be a significant number of new cases to come. "There are some unavoidable realities about this, and one of those unavoidable realities is that we will see Omicron spreading much more quickly than previous variants of the virus." Hipkins said he has not had an overnight update from officials and has no new positive cases of Omicron to report. On masks, he said the advice around using them was not to simply stock up on N95s, which have been found to be effective at protecting against Covid-19 when properly fitted. "If you buy the wrong shape or the wrong size and it doesn't sit properly, then actually the extra protection that you could be getting from that, you won't necessarily get that." Hipkins said the government will operationalise any new advice around masks and Omicron quickly as it comes in, but since the variant is so new there isn't much around yet. He said the community should be prepared for lots of cases even with masks though. "There's no silver bullet, we are going to experience a large number of cases. That is simply a reality that people will need to be prepared for." Currently the advice is to use surgical masks, and Hipkins said the amount of them available to the public through channels like supermarkets is sufficient. The government will be looking into how to best support more vulnerable areas of the community though. There's no silver bullet, we are going to experience a large number of cases. That is simply a reality that people will need to be prepared for."   Booster timing Hipkins said the government was not looking to move the recommended time between booster doses of the Covid-19 vaccine or the paediatric vaccine doses. Currently the gap between a second dose of the vaccine and a booster for adults is four months, and the gap between paediatric doses is eight weeks. "If the advice comes back saying to shorten the gap between doses down, then of course we will consider that very carefully. At the moment we worked through that very carefully before Christmas, and our health official's best advice at that point was four months." Hipkins says there is not much difference between three months and four months for the number of people eligible. "The difference in terms of the number of people between the end of between now and sort of mid-March, it's only a couple of 100,000 extra people that would become eligible. So, we've already got the vast bulk of people being eligible by sort of late February early March anyway."

The Covid-19 Response Minister expects daily Omicron case numbers could potentially reach the tens of thousands.The Association of Salaried Medical Specialists is calling for the Government to declare a health workforce emergency amid concerns an Omicron outbreak will exacerbate existing pressure.Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins told Tim Dower while the Omicron hospitalisation rate is lower than other variants, no country has not experienced significant pressure on the health system.“We do expect to experience pressure on the health system. The best thing that every New Zealander can do to ease that is to get their booster dose as soon as they're eligible.”LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealanders stuck overseas are waiting to hear if they can come home next month or not. Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins will make an announcement this afternoon on the Government's response to Omicron. It's getting advice on bringing forward booster shots, and possibly changing the settings at the border. As things stand, those in Australia can come home and skip MIQ from January 17. Grounded Kiwis spokesperson Alexandra Birt told Tim Dower they've heard rumours a change will be made today. “The people who were impacted by that, particularly the people who had booked to come back from Australia, the uncertainty is really difficult for them to deal with, many of these people have been waiting months and months, some of them are in very dire situations.” LISTEN ABOVE 

Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins has labelled the handing out of unofficial Covid-19 vaccine exemptions by a Kaiapoi GP as clearly unethical behaviour. The Ministry of Health is investigating claims Dr Jonie Girouard has been handing out fake medical certificates to be used as exemptions for getting the Pfizer vaccine. The GP is reported to have boasted the medical certificates have been used for international travel. Chris Hipkins says he's sure there will be an investigation by the professional body for GPs. The Medical Association wants the police to investigate. Association chair Dr Alistair Humphrey spoke to Susie Ferguson.

Early lab studies show two doses of the Pfizer vaccine may not provide sufficient protection against the Omicron variant but a third dose does work to neutralize it. Three doses provide a similar level of antibodies against Omicron to that of two doses against other variants. Covid -19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins spoke to Susie Ferguson.

Early lab studies show two doses of the Pfizer vaccine may not provide sufficient protection against the Omicron variant but a third dose does work to neutralize it. Three doses provide a similar level of antibodies against Omicron to that of two doses against other variants. Covid -19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins spoke to Susie Ferguson.

Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins has labelled the handing out of unofficial Covid-19 vaccine exemptions by a Kaiapoi GP as clearly unethical behaviour. The Ministry of Health is investigating claims Dr Jonie Girouard has been handing out fake medical certificates to be used as exemptions for getting the Pfizer vaccine. The GP is reported to have boasted the medical certificates have been used for international travel. Chris Hipkins says he's sure there will be an investigation by the professional body for GPs. The Medical Association wants the police to investigate. Association chair Dr Alistair Humphrey spoke to Susie Ferguson.

This week on Q+A, Jack speaks to Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins just hours after entering the traffic light system, sits down with new National Leader Christopher Luxon for a wide-ranging interview and hears from Tina Ngata on vaccination and travel to the regions. Whena talks to a contact tracer who won't be having the summer holiday we all long for.

After almost four months in lockdown, Auckland bars, cafes and restaurants are opening for table service today. It's a major milestone for the country's largest city, which has been eagerly awaiting more freedom amid the restrictions imposed because of Covid-19. So how will it go, and what are the next challenges? Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins spoke to Susie Ferguson.

After almost four months in lockdown, Auckland bars, cafes and restaurants are opening for table service today. It's a major milestone for the country's largest city, which has been eagerly awaiting more freedom amid the restrictions imposed because of Covid-19. So how will it go, and what are the next challenges? Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins spoke to Susie Ferguson.

Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield is defending the timeframe to get Covid-19 vaccinations for children approved and rolled out. Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said on Wednesday he expects the under-12s vaccine to be approved and its rollout to start from late January, around the start of the school year. Bloomfield said they are still waiting on the advice from Medsafe, and it cannot be rushed. "They need to be given time to make sure that process is done thoroughly." He said the summer period would see a lot of families moving around, which would make getting vaccinated difficult. On top of this, vaccinators have been working hard throughout the year and he said they deserve a break. He said administering the vaccine to children requires vaccinators to be trained to use it, as it is a slightly different formulation and a different vial. The discussion on vaccines comes as two Nelson schools have been forced to close after staff members tested positive for Covid-19. One person at Enner Glynn School who got a positive result back yesterday had been infectious since Monday. Broadgreen Intermediate has also told parents it has one case, who was infectious from last Thursday. Dr Bloomfield said a lockdown is not on the cards for Nelson at this stage.

Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield is defending the timeframe to get Covid-19 vaccinations for children approved and rolled out. Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said on Wednesday he expects the under-12s vaccine to be approved and its rollout to start from late January, around the start of the school year. Bloomfield said they are still waiting on the advice from Medsafe, and it cannot be rushed. "They need to be given time to make sure that process is done thoroughly." He said the summer period would see a lot of families moving around, which would make getting vaccinated difficult. On top of this, vaccinators have been working hard throughout the year and he said they deserve a break. He said administering the vaccine to children requires vaccinators to be trained to use it, as it is a slightly different formulation and a different vial. The discussion on vaccines comes as two Nelson schools have been forced to close after staff members tested positive for Covid-19. One person at Enner Glynn School who got a positive result back yesterday had been infectious since Monday. Broadgreen Intermediate has also told parents it has one case, who was infectious from last Thursday. Dr Bloomfield said a lockdown is not on the cards for Nelson at this stage.

There are now more than 200 confirmed cases of the Omicron variant in the world - with a further 1200 probable cases. In South Africa, where the variant was first identified, 124 cases have been confirmed. In the European Union, their public health agency says they have 42 cases in 10 member states.   What does that mean for New Zealand? Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins spoke to Corin Dann.

There are now more than 200 confirmed cases of the Omicron variant in the world - with a further 1200 probable cases. In South Africa, where the variant was first identified, 124 cases have been confirmed. In the European Union, their public health agency says they have 42 cases in 10 member states.   What does that mean for New Zealand? Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins spoke to Corin Dann.

Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins says the mandatory seven-day self-isolation period for all people arriving in New Zealand from 17 January will be monitored with a 'light touch.' Hipkins told Morning Report the Government will be relying on the good will of travellers to follow the self-isolation rules, though there will also be some form of monitoring. He said the staggered reopening of the border is to ensure the country doesn't have to flip flop around the different coloured traffic lights.

AMONG the headlines for Wednesday, November 24, 2021, Malaysia today logged another 5,755 new COVID-19 infections. Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said via his Twitter account that there have been 2,602,835 cases in the country since the pandemic began last year. Also, New Zealand said it will not reopen to foreign travellers for at least another five months, as it slowly relaxes some of the world's toughest pandemic border restrictions. New Zealand's COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said New Zealanders stranded in Australia could return home from mid-January and Kiwis travelling from elsewhere would be allowed in a month later. Listen to the top stories of the day, reporting from Astro AWANI newsroom — all in 3-minutes. We bring you the headlines, weekdays at 5 pm. Stay informed on astroawani.com for these news and more.

Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins says the mandatory seven-day self-isolation period for all people arriving in New Zealand from 17 January will be monitored with a 'light touch.' Hipkins told Morning Report the Government will be relying on the good will of travellers to follow the self-isolation rules, though there will also be some form of monitoring. He said the staggered reopening of the border is to ensure the country doesn't have to flip flop around the different coloured traffic lights.

Fully vaccinated Kiwis and travellers will be able to bypass New Zealand's managed isolation at the border from early next year. Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins has announced a three-step approach that will allow fully-vaccinated people to travel more freely in and out of New Zealand from next year. Newstalk ZB political editor Barry Soper joined Heather du Plessis-Allan.LISTEN ABOVE

The government has given details on the vaccine pass set to be rolled out on Wednesday. Covid-19 vaccine certificates, dubbed 'My Vaccine Pass'  will sit inside people's digital wallet on their smart phones. The certificates will be available to download later today for anyone who is double vaccinated. The Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins told Morning Report he is confident the system will stand up to demand, but is urging people to wait a few days before downloading them. He says each pass will have a QR code, although photo ID may be required for some places. The government will also provide a phone number and drop in centres to help people who have trouble downloading the certificates.

The government has given details on the vaccine pass set to be rolled out on Wednesday. Covid-19 vaccine certificates, dubbed 'My Vaccine Pass'  will sit inside people's digital wallet on their smart phones. The certificates will be available to download later today for anyone who is double vaccinated. The Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins told Morning Report he is confident the system will stand up to demand, but is urging people to wait a few days before downloading them. He says each pass will have a QR code, although photo ID may be required for some places. The government will also provide a phone number and drop in centres to help people who have trouble downloading the certificates.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is suggesting that double vaccinated Aucklanders and those who test negative for Covid-19 may be able to leave the region by Christmas. People RNZ spoke to on the streets supported the idea. Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins says vaccine certificates will need to be checked at the border. He says work is underway to prevent queues of traffic and thousands of people leaving the region at the same time. He says allocating fully-vaccinated Aucklanders a time slot to leave the region is one possibility. Aucklanders represent a crucial market for Far North businesses over the summer, which are already taking a hit from the snap level 3 lockdown in place until next Monday. But as Northland logs the lowest vaccination uptake of any region in the country, many community leaders view travellers from Auckland as a risk. Kaitaia Business Association chair Andrea Panther spoke to Susie Ferguson.

Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins says they are still waiting on geonomic testing from the positive cases in Taipa.    He told Morning Report contact tracers are exploring any possible links, including the two uncooperative women who travelled to the North last month against public health orders and later tested positive. But if the two women were had contributed to the outbreak it's unlikely they directly passed Covid-19 on to the cases in Taipa. "We would have expected to have picked that up before now if there was a direct link."

Auckland retail should be able to fling open the doors next week, if Cabinet gives the final sign off. The Prime Minister says the high vaccination rates in the city means the risk of spread in shops is low risk. Waikato will drop down to the same level tomorrow. The Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins talks through the details with Lisa Owen.  

Big news today for New Zealanders overseas who are trying to get back home. Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins says it's time to rethink how the country manages the border. From November 14th, returnees will only need to spend seven days in MIQ and three days at home and from early 2022, more travellers will be able to isolate at home. Andrew Bates finishes his MIQ stint tomorrow after sailing by catamaran from Australia's Coffs Harbour last week. He tells Karyn Hay, people should simply be able to isolate at home if they have tested negative for COVID.

The government expects home isolation to be an option for travellers entering the country next year. Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins has announced an MIQ overhaul in three stages. From November 14, people returning to the country will only need to spend seven days in MIQ and three days at home, with tests on day 0, day 3 and day 9. From November 8, double vaccinated travellers from low risk Pacific countries will be able to skip MIQ altogether. Chris Hipkins says home isolation will then be rolled out. Andrew McRae reports.  

Covid 19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins explains why he did not put Christchurch into a snap lockdown given the two positive cases. He told Lisa Owen that requiring vaccination for those travelling across the Auckland boundary is "certainly an issue that's under discussion." It cannot be done immediately, he said, as there are goods that need to be moved in and out of the region. Hipkins said he thinks there would be people in the trucking industry who aren't keen on mandatory vaccination to cross the boundary, but he has no knowledge of any representations from the trucking industry expressing that.

Delta has reached Christchurch, and a snap lockdown has not been ruled out after two unvaccinated people tested positive overnight. The two are from the same household. One member had recently returned to Christchurch from Auckland. Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins told us has been back in Christchurch for up to a week, and unwell for a while, so they could have been infectious during that time. He also told us the two were not regularly using QR codes. Christchurch Mayor Lianne Dalziel spoke to Corin Dann.

Delta has reached Christchurch, and a snap lockdown has not been ruled out after two unvaccinated people tested positive overnight. The two are from the same household. One member had recently returned to Christchurch from Auckland. Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins told us has been back in Christchurch for up to a week, and unwell for a while, so they could have been infectious during that time. He also told us the two were not regularly using QR codes. Christchurch Mayor Lianne Dalziel spoke to Corin Dann.

Nita Blake-Persen speaks to Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins to ask whether Auckland will be in the new protection system by Christmas. First she asks whether Northland should brace for another lockdown after two confirmed cases in the region.

Secondary school students in Years 11-13 who live in alert level 3 areas will be able to return to the classroom on 26 October, Education and Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins has confirmed.

Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins told Checkpoint it is “certainly a possibility” by Christmas that Aucklanders could have more freedoms while still being restricted within the regional Covid boundary. He also discusses the return to classrooms for senior high school students, and questions around younger students returning before the end of the year.

Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins says people should prepare themselves for increasing numbers of daily cases. On Tuesday the number of community cases reached a pandemic daily high for New Zealand of 94.

Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins says people should prepare themselves for increasing numbers of daily cases. On Tuesday the number of community cases reached a pandemic daily high for New Zealand of 94.

The government is refusing to outline any vaccination targets linked with lowering lockdown restrictions until at least Friday. Auckland will remain at alert level 1 step 3, for the next two weeks, while Waikato will stay at alert level 3 until at least Friday, when it is next reviewed. But Northland will join the rest of the country at level 2 on Tuesday night. Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins told Checkpoint that it would not 'drip feed' any information about vaccination rates or changes to the alert system until the end of the week.

The ACT Party's fully in support of moving towards quarantining people at home, and in fact would like it extended further. Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins says low risk cases who can isolate safely at home may be able to do so within the next week. ACT leader David Seymour told RNZ political reporter Anneke Smith it's the right way to go.

The National Party is backing plans to allow some low risk Covid-19 cases to isolate at home, but spokesperson Chris Bishop is worried about how much planning has been done. Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said on Wednesday low-risk cases may be able to isolate at home within the next week. Bishop told Morning Report it's a sensible move, but only time will tell if the Government has planned how to manage it safely. "My real concern is that we haven't done the planning for that [home isolation]," he said. "The DHBs were told a few weeks ago to start planning for home-based isolation and quarantine, my sense is that some will be well advanced, others will not be. Of course, if we'd started planning for this a few months ago, we'd be in better position with that." Bishop said it was clear with the current rate of growth New Zealand will quickly run out of space in MIQ. "Obviously, with case numbers continuing to rise with an R rate of 1.3, which means continuing to spread, particularly in Auckland, we're going to have to look at alternatives and the only feasible alternative is home-based isolation." He said the Government should be considering regular public health check-ins, how the police might be involved, and how to best use technology for at-home isolation.

Northland and parts of Waikato will stay in lockdown for at least another five days. Right now health authorities cannot rule out unchecked Covid-19 transmission in the community. The stumbling block in Northland is the two women who travelled there and tested positive for the virus. It has been a slow process getting any information out of them about their movements and contacts. In Waikato, where cases seemed to be contained to household contacts, there are two new cases yet to be linked to the existing cluster. [embed] https://players.brightcove.net/6093072280001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6276848473001 There was a total of 55 new cases on Wednesday - 53 of them in Auckland. Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins tells Lisa Owen, people with Covid-19 may be able to isolate at home soon, if they are low risk and can do so safely.