Morning Report

A brief update of movements in the financial sector.

For hundreds of New Zealanders who didn't listen to Corin on Friday, Level Three came with a side order of cars that wouldn't start.

AA Roadservice says it had attended 1500 jobs and had hundreds more people waiting for help by 4pm yesterday.

Eight out of 10 calls related to drained batteries.

Bashir Khan, AA General Manager of Roadside Solutions, speaks to Philippa Tolley.

Tradies' vans are back on the streets throughout the country.

Among them are Wellington electrician Mike Irvine, and the twenty six staff working with Colleen Upton at Hutt Gas and Plumbing.

The pair speak to Corin Dann.

After a month of quiet, the country welcomed back the sounds of traffic, commerce and construction yesterday.

As dawn rose on Alert Level 3, about 400,000 people went back to work.

In Wellington, Hamish Cardwell spoke to locals about emerging from the bubble.

The World Health Organisation is warning New Zealand not to become complacent, as a long battle against Covid-19 still lies ahead.

The organisation's response manager of the Western Pacific region, Dr Abdi Mahamud, says New Zealand has been world-leading in its response.

But he told RNZ Worldwatch reporter Max Towle that some social distancing rules will need to remain in place until there is an effective vaccine.

Universities are asking staff to take paycuts as the loss of revenue from international students bites.

Minister of Education Chris Hipkins told Morning Report he thinks financial issues are "a bit premature" due to the fact most government funding is still being provided.

He speaks to Philippa Tolley.

Renting is expensive at the best of times, but when wages are cut and jobs are lost, making ends meet becomes even harder.

Of nearly 2000 people surveyed by Renters United, more than half had lost at least a third of their income - others were even more worse off.

Ninety-two percent of those with lowered incomes were still paying the full rate and 5.9 percent had received a rent reduction or deferral.

Philippa Tolley spoke to one renter who managed to get a temporary rent freeze but is still expected to pay it back.

University staff are being advised not to accept pay cuts.

At least two universities are considering cutting staff pay to help confront the crisis posed by the multi-million dollar loss of income from international students.

The Tertiary Education Union is advising staff to stand firm.

Union president Michael Gilchrist speaks to Corin Dann.

Iwi volunteers at a new checkpoint in South Taranaki say they have stopped hundreds of vehicles who shouldn't be driving under Alert Level 3.

They say they are concerned that people have dropped their guards, after discovering foreigners who are travelling the country and locals who have returned from a holiday over long-weekend.

RNZ Māori news correspondent Leigh-Marama McLachlan was in Patea yesterday.

Two sisters who have flown from Melbourne to be with their dying mother are caught up in 14 days of mandatory isolation.

They've battling to get out of quarantine early on compassionate grounds, but say the process is unwieldy and slow.

They fear their mum may die before they get to see her.

Joanne, one of the sisters, speaks to Philippa Tolley.