Covid Watch

Hairdressers are frustrated there's no roadmap for them. 

They're among those bearing the brunt of Auckland's lengthy lockdown; it's 10 weeks since they've had to shut up shop. 

Ashley Green owns Society, a salon in Grey Lynn, and told...

A warning a home isolation model will come with more risk. 

The Government says positive Covid-19 community cases will be quarantining in their own homes fairly soon, as rising cases will make it unsustainable to put them all in MIQ. 

Auckland...

Grant Robertson insists taking Auckland out of lockdown simply isn't an option right now. 

Auckland will remain under current restrictions for at least another two weeks, to help limit rising Covid-19 cases. 

Cabinet ministers ruled out a Level Four...

The Government has announced that Auckland will stay at Alert Level 3 for a further two weeks.

This move quashes the experts' opinion to move Auckland back into a "circuit-breaker" Level 4 lockdown.

Meanwhile, Northland will move to Level 2 on Tuesday...

The construction industry is urging the Government to mandate vaccinations for worksites.

Health and education workers already have mandates and now Master Builders wants to follow suit for construction workers.

Their members want mandates for...

Super Saturday, we’re full of hope. Sunday, bit of a hangover. Monday, it’s back to what it’s been.

You know what I loved about Super Saturday? It’s because ordinary New Zealanders got to sell the message of vaccinations.

It wasn’t “please” from...

The ACT Party has launched an idea called “Vax Bucks”.

This is to reward those who have got double-vaccinated.

It is a $250 tax credit that can be paid on your vaccination day or in your next tax return.

ACT leader David Seymour told Andrew Dickens...

Emeritus Professor Des Gorman says a lack of detail from the Government today on the next steps for the country is predictable but disappointing.

Auckland's current restrictions are continuing for another two weeks.

Gorman told Andrew Dickens the...

Big questions for the Government today, as we face another Cabinet meeting and another breathless 4pm revelation. 
Firstly, if there is no change, they need to do a lot better than last week when they ignored Auckland. The pain is Auckland, whether you are in the city or not, is real, it's getting worse by the day, and it affects the entire country. The fact not a mention was made last week of business shows you just how hopelessly out of touch a government that lives and breathes Wellington really is. 
The irony being, of course, the Prime Minister no less, used to be from Auckland and does claim to still represent a slice of the city by way of the Mount Albert electorate. 
If last week is a guide, then nothing happens today. I hope it's different for Waikato and Northland. Their individual plights have shown just how out of control this mess now is. Held to ransom by low lives and a couple of unlinked cases ensuing panic. It’s the stuff of Alpha, not Delta. 
But can last week really be a guide? Given this thing is now a fully-fledged outbreak with zero chance of control. The stark truth is the Government have now been exposed for the atrocious vaccine rollout driven by laziness, complacency, and arrogance. They can't put anything back in the bottle. 
So, the question is, how long can they force a closure of the biggest city in the economy? Do they go for broke like New South Wales? Do they give a target on the vaccine? I mean a proper target, like doors open at the target. 
And if they go for a target, why aren't they following New South Wales? Is New South Wales a disaster? No. Is it open? Yes. Even Victoria, run by Chairman Dan, is about to open at 80 percent. 
Our goal of 90 percent is laudable, but not real. Right or wrong, it's not real. Are they going to ideologically refuse to accept another mistake and hang tough on 90 percent? Or are they going to get sensible, stop the erosion of their support, and finally admit it's time to get on with life? 
If you want to be afraid, be afraid. If you don't want to get jabbed, don't. I don't care, I want my life back. I see New South Wales with their lives back, as best they can all things considered. I'm in that train, not ours. 
Today is a chance to change that.

The arts need support now more than ever. 
A fortnight ago, Creative New Zealand was allocated five million dollars to provide short-term support to the arts and culture sector. 
Royal New Zealand Ballet board chair Dame Kerry Prendergast told Mike Hosking things are still very tough. 
Prendergast says they're going to film it, like they did last year, so families can watch at home for 15 to 20 dollars.
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