Morning Report

It's the first long weekend since lockdown restrictions were eased, and roads are expected to be crowded.

After weeks of less-than-usual congestion, police are warning drivers to be careful.

Acting Superintendent Gini Welch is national manager road policing.

Regional towns are expected to come alive this long weekend as people get out and about and travel.

With international visitors locked out - tourism businesses are looking forward to a cash injection from locals over Queen's Birthday Weekend.

From midday today gatherings are back on the table for up to 100 people.

Jonathan Mitchell took a whip around the country.

Government ministers aren't receiving up to date figures on businesses that breach the $10 billion wage subsidy scheme, and one Minister's office says "it's not something we're interested in".

The government is monitoring how much money is paid out in the wage subsidy and leave payment schemes, but the number of complaints, audits and money paid back is only being provided in quarterly reports.

Reporter Ben Strang has been looking into this - he speaks to Susie Ferguson.

News from the business sector, including a market report.

Up to six people will now be allowed to meet up from Monday in the UK and children up to the age of 10 will be able to return to school and early learning centres; and some retail stores will re-open.

It's despite a total of 54,000 cases this week alone, and 700 deaths in the last two days.

The first wave of steps will be taken from 1 June, with more sweeping measures - the re-opening of secondary schools, the doors opening for more retail stores - occuring a further two weeks down the line.

On Monday, people will now be able to meet up with other households in groups up to six, though only in public spaces, or in private back gardens, and they will still have to keep a two metre distance between one another.

He also tried to draw a line in the sand under the ongoing saga with Dominic Cummings after another day and another new development.

Durham Police have concluded an investigation into Cummings and found there might have been a minor breach of the lockdown regulations.

The advisor has been in hot water ever since it was revealed he drove 400 kilometres to his parents' residence in the North of England in late March.

London correspondent Vincent McAviney speaks to Susie Ferguson.

From midday today gatherings are back up to 100 people.

But Covid-19 nervousness is still simmering, and lots people appear reluctant to leave their bubble.

In Auckland's Newmarket last night few were sticking around for an evening out.

National is astonished a spokesperson for the Minister of Social Development has said the office is not interested in knowing how often employers are ripping off the ten billion dollar wage subsidy scheme.

The government is monitoring how much money is paid out in the wage subsidy and leave payment schemes, but the number of complaints, audits and money paid back is only being provided in quarterly reports.

The Ministry of Social Development has refused to provide up to date auditing numbers, instead treating RNZ enquiries as an Official Information Act request.

The Minister's office says information about breaches is not something it is interested in.

National Party finance spokesperson Paul Goldsmith told reporter Ben Strang that is not good enough.

News from the rural and farming sector.

A brief update from the business sector.

More than 100,000 people have now died from Covid-19 in the US. In a tweet, President Donald Trump described the figure as a "very sad milestone". 

The White House's chief medical expert, Doctor Anthony Fauci, told PBS that the loss ranks among America's worst.

The grim news continued yesterday with a new report from the US Labor Department that 40 million Americans have filed for unemployment benefits since March.

That's the equivalent of one in four American workers.

More than two million of those claims were made last week.

US correspondent Simon Marks speaks to Corin Dann.