There are two new deaths in New Zealand from Covid-19, taking our total toll to 16. There are only three new cases in New Zealand, the smallest number so far.
The police chief has sent a warning for New Zealanders to not get complacent as new coronavirus cases continue to drop ahead of the lifting of the level 4 lockdown. Get all the important news and read the full stories in the links below.
Key developments in NZ
Police will be out in force on roads over Anzac weekend. Photo / Mark Mitchell
• Police chief Andrew Coster has warned Kiwis not to get complacent over Anzac weekend as the country is still in lockdown and police will be out in force on the roads and in holiday hot spots. With 400,000 more workers and more schools opening at level 3, as well as looser restrictions on movement, Coster said it would be a high-trust model, but police would act on clear breaches such as public gatherings, while taking a common-sense approach.
• Director general of health Dr Ashley Bloomfield has apologised to the family of a woman who died of coronavirus after he publicly described her condition as "stable", as the toll in New Zealand rises to 16. The day prior Bloomfield had said none of the patients in hospital were critical. However, 62-year-old Jocelyn Finlayson had been in ICU for two weeks before she died overnight. Finlayson's daughter Nicole said she was initially elated when she heard the briefing on Tuesday and thought her mother's condition must have changed since they had spoken to doctors that morning. But Bloomfield said when he referred to her as stable it had "reflected the fact there had been no change" in her critical condition, and apologised for the misunderstanding.
Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield. Photo / Getty
• Finlayson was one of two further deaths as a result of Covid-19 in New Zealand, with the second new death announced today a man in his 70s from Christchurch's Rosewood rest home who died on site, where eight others have died. However, there have been just three new cases in New Zealand - two confirmed and one probable - the smallest number so far.
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• Direct payments to all New Zealanders could be made to help the economy recover from the fallout of Covid-19. Finance Minister Grant Robertson said the Government had to examine all options to help the country get back on its feet, but ruled out tax cuts this year, while business leaders and researchers also offered ideas on how to stimulate the economy.
In depth
• As the country heads closer towards moving out of lockdown, there's still a lot of burning questions about what you can and can't do under alert level 3. The Herald has compiled a list of answers to readers' questions, with the help of infectious diseases expert Dr Siouxsie Wiles.
• How does New Zealand's Covid-19 response compare to the rest of the world? The Herald has been keeping up-to-date interactive graphics with the latest numbers from New Zealand and around the world, featuring all the information you need to know.
• Some cinemas won't be reopening in level 2 - despite being allowed - as there won't be enough blockbusters around to make it worth their while. New Zealand's cinema sector is begging for an extension of the wage subsidy scheme, with one cinema saying it faces six months with near-zero income even once the lockdown lifts.
• House movers have been inundated with bookings after the five-week lockdown, but are simply unable to cope with demand. Moving companies are allowed to begin operations again from Tuesday, but one national firm says their bookings are "already chock-a-block" and "way up the wazoo".
Around the world
• Derided by many economists for years for insisting on a balanced budget and criticised for a healthcare system seen as bloated and overly expensive, Germany has found itself well equipped now to weather the coronavirus pandemic. Already applauded for early actions such as social-distancing regulations and aggressive testing seen as helping keep the death toll comparatively low, Europe's largest economy has had the financial flexibility to launch a massive rescue plan to help businesses and keep workers paid.
• At least 25,000 more people have died during the coronavirus pandemic over the last month than the official Covid-19 death counts report, a review of mortality data in 11 countries shows. They are numbers that undermine the notion that many people who have died from the virus may soon have died anyway.
• The Blues and Chiefs have joined the Crusaders in making staff redundancies as the New Zealand Super Rugby franchises continue to grapple with the financial effects of the coronavirus. In statements to the Herald, both northern franchises confirmed the cuts had been necessary despite emergency funding of $250,000 to each of the five franchises from New Zealand Rugby. Like many other businesses in New Zealand, the franchises have also taken up the offer of government support. The Hurricanes and Highlanders have said they have not yet cut staff numbers.
