Morning Report

News from the rural and farming sector.

A brief update from the business sector.

The immigration industry says officials are being hamstrung by the government in their efforts to sort out visa problems.

Immigration New Zealand quickly renewed temporary visas expiring from April to July.

But the Association for Migration and Investment says that does not help immigrants who lost their job and are in the dark about their next move.

Its chair, June Ranson, says others, who were on overseas holidays when the border closed, have lived here for many years - and do not know what to do about their homes, cars and other possessions.

She says they - and people who had shipped their belongings to start work here - are in no man's land.

With country now out of Alert Level 4 and into Level 3, a Bluff restaurant which was at the centre of the country's largest Covid-19 cluster is reopening today.

A wedding at the Southland town's Oyster Cove Restaurant has been linked to 98 cases of the virus.

Oyster Cove director Ross Jackson says he has been receiving a lot of support from the Bluff community and will take tough measures to ensure everyone is safe in a takeaway only environment.

He spoke to RNZ reporter Anan Zaki.

The country is now in level 3 lockdown - we'll have all the details of what you can and can't do, And Takeaways are one of the things you can now do - there are already queues at MacDonalds around the country.

It's Friday so we cross the ditch to Canberra to talk to our correspondent Kerry-Anne Walsh.

We've been talking to people all this week about what life's been like in isolation.

Trudie Mulligan has used the time to create a display on her front lawn to commemorate Anzac Day.

She has never missed an Anzac Day service.

She speaks to Corin Dann.

Physical activity has been the only way to leave the confines of home during Alert Level 4 for many Kiwis.

Those taking up that opportunity for a daily walk, run or bike ride, will be noticing many others doing exactly the same.

A survey conducted by market-research company Kantar indicates almost half of the New Zealand population have been exercising more than usual during Alert Level 4.

Clay Wilson has more on this increased physical activity, and the chances it will continue when society eventually returns to normal.

An organisation that provides in-home care to disabled people says it's taken too long for PPE to reach it, and when it does, it's not enough.

While Community Connections is offering as much support as it can to its clients over the phone, staff still need to go into the homes of some people.

The organisation covers the lower North Island, from Hawke's Bay across to Taranaki south.

It says district health boards in that area are not providing the PPE needed.

John Taylor is the executive director of Community Connections.

A brief update of movements in the financial sector.