Morning Report

An Invercargill woman fighting for her life in Dunedin hospital and five of her family members still don't know how they got Covid-19.

The family is believed to be among the rare cases of community transmission.

The 62-year-old woman is in intensive care on a ventillator after the virus completely took over her lungs but her daughter worries the seriousness of her condition is being downplayed publicly.

RNZ health correspondent Rowan Quinn has been speaking with her daughter and speaks to Susie Ferguson.

The secretive US data firm Palantir run by billionaire and New Zealand citizen Peter Thiel is in talks with the Government here about combating Covid-19.

Palantir has worked for spy agencies in the US and New Zealand.

It is now parlaying its data mining power for governments around the world desperate to track how the virus is spreading.

Phil Pennington is looking into this.

News from the business sector, including a market report.

Almost a month after other countries started repatriating their citizens from India, the New Zealand Government is this week getting its first plane off the ground.

Two weeks ago Germany had already chartered 12 flights out of India for its citizens and a group of Australians successfully managed to charter five private flights, returning 2500 people.

The man who ran these flights, Brendon Hempel, a pilot of 20 years and now in the plane chartering business, offered the same service to get New Zealanders out but was told by MFAT that his services weren't needed.

Brendon Hempel told RNZ reporter Jordan Bond the Government's choice to use Air New Zealand means some people won't be able to afford the $5500 price tag.

The first repatriation flight for Kiwis is due to depart New Delhi on Friday, flying direct to Auckland on Air New Zealand.

In a statement the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the Government chose Air New Zealand because they couldn't guarantee privately chartered flights would actually go ahead, and one of the carriers has a 'mixed safety record'.

It also said using Air New Zealand allows more cohesive planning with the other agencies involved in the repatriation including Immigration, Health, Police and Customs.

Business New Zealand chief executive Kirk Hope says banks aren't making it easy for small and medium-sized operators to access loans through the Government's guarantee scheme.

The Finance Minister Grant Robertson announced the $6 billion initiative nearly a month ago.

It provides up to $500,000 for up to three years for businesses with annual revenues between $250,000 and $80m. Robertson told Morning Report yesterday that banks need to pick up the pace.

Business New Zealand says in order to get a loan, owners are being asked to provide cashflow projections for two years.

For some it's just too difficult due to the uncertainty, while others are simply being turned down.

RNZ political reporter Jo Moir spoke to chief executive Kirk Hope and started by asking what feedback he'd had from small and medium business owners about accessing loans.

News from the rural and farming sector.

A brief update of movements in the financial sector.

Spain's nationwide lockdown - which started on 14 March - has been extended until the middle of May.

But there's some relief for the country's children, who will be allowed outside for walks from Sunday. Spain has the second highest number of infections in the world with more than 200,000 cases.

Jesse Stevens, a New Zealander living in Barcelona, speaks to Corin Dann.

We've been talking to people about what life looks like in isolation.

Auckland Observatory astronomer Grant Christie says the lockdown has created problems for his team who would normally be keeping an eye on the skies.

He speaks to Susie Ferguson.

Volunteers at community coronavirus checkpoints agree with the the National Party that clarity on their legality is nescessary.

Iwi in regions such as Te Tai Tokerau, Ngāti Porou and Ngāti Manawa have been running checkpoints to restrict access to their rohe - and keep Covid-19 out of vulnerable communties.

Tina Ngata, who has been volunteering at checkpoints on State Highway 35 in Ngāti Porou's rohe, speaks to Susie Ferguson.