Morning Report

The government will soon gain sweeping new powers to manage visa changes for migrants who are unable to leave New Zealand The bill could be fast-tracked through parliament by as soon as next week. But a lack of pandemic planning and remote working abilities within immigration have been highighted as potential reasons as to why the legislation has to be passed in the first place. An immigration lawyer, Richard Small, told RNZ reporter Gill Bonnett that the new legislation shows up years of neglect, including the effects of a restructure, - and that immigrants have become collateral damage of Covid-19.

The Foreign Minister says he'd fully back starting direct flights between New Zealand and Tasmania ahead of travel with mainland Australia if that would be more straightforward.

Tasmanian Premier Peter Gutwein told the ABC the Covid crisis could see direct flights resume for the first time in 20 years.

Australia and New Zealand have committed to introducing a "Covid safe" travel zone once it's safe to do so.

Winston Peters told our political editor, Jane Patterson, Tasmania could be a good start.

Restaurants and bars are gearing up with the tech industry to use a multiplicity of Covid contact tracing apps in Alert Level 2.

Jonny McKenzie runs point of sale hospitality software company, Posboss.

His company is working on ways for venues to easily know who has been on site if it later turns out someone with Covid-19 was there too.

He told RNZ reporter Phil Pennington the signs are that the Government will be happy to move to Level 2 without having just a singular over-arching contact tracing app in place.

News from the rural and farming sector.

A brief update from the business sector.

The UK has passed Italy to have the highest death toll in Europe from Covid-19. 

It comes as the number of Covid-related deaths globally exceeds 250,000, with over 3.5 million cases worldwide. 

A number of other countries have also reached milestones: yesterday, India reported its highest number of cases in one day - around 4000; and Russia had over 10,000 cases in 24 hours for the third day running. 

Official UK Government figures now put the number of deaths at just under 30,000. 

The Foreign Secretary, Dominic Raab, announced the figures at a media conference early this morning, and said there wouldn't be a "real verdict" on international comparisons until it was all over. 

Correspondent Vincent McAviney speaks to Kim Hill.

Bars and restaurants team up with the tech industry to create their own contact tracing systems, and The government grants itself sweeping powers to manage visas

Taika Waititi is going to direct and write a new Star Wars film.

The move was announced to coincide with May the 4th in the United States, the date known as Star Wars Day.

Susie Ferguson speaks to Variety's executive editor Steven Gaydos, who said Waititi's new gig is not without risk.

While most New Zealanders are adjusting to life under Alert Level 3 after almost five weeks at Level 4 - some are emerging from months living under even tighter restrictions.

For a small group caught up in the outbreak in Wuhan first and then again here its been around a hundred days under quarantine and in lockdown.

They say it's a unique experience through which they learnt how to get on better with their family, develop new friendships and to appreciate life more.

Chen Liu reports.

Is quarantine a two-week luxury holiday or a prison-like experience with exercise in outdoor pens?

For weeks now, almost every single person arriving in New Zealand has had to spend two weeks in managed isolation or quarantine.

RNZ's Sarah Robson spoke to some recent returnees to find out what it's like.