And staying with the UK we talk now to Rich Preston from the BBC World Service

The UK government has announced it is unlikely England will ever return to lockdown despite rising covid cases in the country. It has also dropped a plan to make people in England show vaccine passports to enter crowded events such as nightclubs. That comes as a relief to London-based New Zealand restauranteur, Chantelle Robinson who owns Treadwells restaurant and pop-up eatery Alls Well.

The bells rang out in Otepoti, Dunedin today, to herald the arrival of a very special traveller. The first returning Endangered Northern Royal Albatross of the season has been welcomed at Taiaroa Head. The eco tourism manager at the Otago Peninsula Trust, Hoani Langsbury joins Bryan to talk about the teenage arrival

New South Wales Intensive Care Units are at peak capacity and struggling to cope with covid cases as health authorities say worse is yet to come. On top of that, over a thousand health care workers across the state are isolating at home, furthering the load on those working in ICU's and regular wards. New South Wales' nurses union general secretary, Brett Holmes, outlines how bad things are getting in the state's hospitals.

In 1944, 22 year-old James Stellin was one of several thousand New Zealanders who flew with the Royal Air Force over Europe in support of the D-Day landings.

In August the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change gave humanity a code red alert, and told us the Earth could be just 10 years from heating by more than 1.5 degrees Celsius. Political economist Mark Blyth joins Karyn.

Today cabinet agreed to make the Pfizer vaccine available for 12-15 year-olds. The decision is being celebrated by Dr Andrew Miller who is a strong advocate for vaccinating children. He joins the show to discuss the announcement.

Employers and Manufacturers chief executive, Brett O'Riley says the process to apply for the wage subsidy has changed quite a bit since last year. Employers can apply for it from Friday, using this link. Brett talks Karyn Hay through the process.

Mediawatch's weekly catch-up with Lately. Colin Peacock talks to Karyn Hay about the media moving back into Covid emergency mode; a business editor slapping down the 'Covid complainers'-  and a truly clueless TV game show.

We're now hearing that there are likely to be as many as 120 cases in this current Covid19 cluster. We're joined by Rodney Jones, one of several top statistical modellers who provides Covid-19 modelling information to the government.