Morning Report

News from the business sector, including a market report.

New Zealand is now at Covid-19 Alert Level 1.

Social, travel and work restrictions were lifted at midnight.

The government wants workers to return to the central city to help keep local businesses stay afloat.

RNZ reporter Mackenzie Smith is at Britomart in Auckland.

Warehouse workers say they're devastated to lose their jobs as more than a thousand positions hang in the balance.

Six stores are in the firing line - The Warehouse stores in Whangaparaoa, Johnsonsville and Dunedin Central, and Warehouse Stationery in Te Awamutu and Noel Leeming in Henderson and Tokoroa.

But staff at the Warehouse Birkenhead store and Noel Leeming Papanui and The Palms stores are preparing for the closure of their stores next month.

Single mother Ana Gray found out she'd been made redundant last week after more than 10 years at the Warehouse Birkenhead store.

While her children have grown up, she told reporter Tess Brunton she's preparing for a tough couple of months.

As life returns back to normal, there is one glaring restriction that remains - the country's borders.

Under level 1 they are still closed to all but New Zealand citizens and permanent residents, or those granted exemptions Mandatory managed isolation and quarantining will continue.

The government says restrictions will be in place for a significant period of time but businesses say they need a clearer timeline so they can plan ahead.

Here's RNZ political reporter, Yvette McCullough.

News from the rural and farming sector.

A brief update from the business sector.

The country is waking up to Covid Alert Level 1 and a way of life not seen in more than 11 weeks.

From today, life is essentially back to normal. Social, travel and work restrictions were lifted at midnight last night. The government now wants people to return to their workplaces and help central city businesses stay afloat.

New Zealand's borders remain closed.

Here's how the Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced the change to Alert Level 1.

Prosecutors say Lamine Diack, Senegal's former head of the International Athletics Federation, was at the heart of a corruption scam that saw Russian athletes pay six-figure sums to have their names erased from doping lists.

A Queenstown chef who until recently made a living catering to high end, luxury visitors to the resort, is now selling fish and chips from his food truck.

Despite the struggle to earn a living for his own family, Ben Batterbury is providing free food parcels to people in need.

He speaks to Kim Hill.

Disability advocates hope businesses will now be better placed to employ disabled people because of changes brought about by Covid-19.

They say more flexibility with hours and working from home will help people with physical and mental challenges to be a part of the workforce.

Eleisha Foon reports.