Morning Report

Medical staff at Burwood Hospital have only just been given access to the highest level of face masks and visors - despite caring for the most Covid-19 cases of any hospital.

Six people from the Rosewood Rest Home have died at Burwood, and eight are still being cared for there. Health authorities have consistently said the workers have had access to the right personal protective equipment.

The hospital's general manager, Dan Coward, told RNZ health correspondent Rowan Quinn access to the higher level equipment was made only yesterday.

The Nurse's Organisation says despite the guidelines, health staff should always have been able to make their own decisions about what they needed to wear to stay safe.

It says the full face visor is particularly important when dealing with advanced dementia patients.

A top pandemic advisor to the Government says the data around contact tracing is still weak, just five days before the Government will decide whether to ease the lockdown.

Physics professor Shaun Hendy will submit his team's risk assessment to the Cabinet tomorrow.

He told RNZ reporter Phil Pennington they have about three-quarters of the data they need - and at this point it would be difficult to make a call on lowering the alert level differently region by region.

News from the rural and farming sector.

A brief update from the business sector.

Businesses on the South Island's West Coast are agitating for permission to reopen early, because their region has had only five cases of Covid-19.

The Government will say today what Alert Level 2 and 3 restrictions will look like before deciding on Monday whether the country is ready to move out of Alert Level 4.

The Mayor of Buller, Jamie Cleine, says being in level four has meant a ban on exports of coal and therefore no work for the 300 miners at Stockton, nor the roughly 150 employed in gold mining in his district.

He says maintaining two metres of separation would be simple in these industries, and so long as the number of cases remains low, the restrictions should be lifted for the region.

But he believes that will only work if strict controls are placed on those coming in to the region.

The move by Pacific island countries to seal themselves off from the outside world is being heralded as largely successful, with some countries now easing their internal lockdowns.

But in the countries where the coronavirus has broken out, a battle is under way to stop it from decimating communities.

RNZ Pacific's Jamie Tahana reports.

Top stories this morning As the number of coronovirus cases continue to fall we look at what life will be like under Level Three and below. The decision will be made by cabinet on Monday but public health experts says more data on the fight against Covid 19 needs to be made public first. and as coronovirus cases pass 2 million, we have reaction to Donald Trump's decision to halt US funding of the WHO.

For many people in the far south, isolation at home has come with a new challenge - autumn's first big dusting of snow.

NIWA forecaster Chris Brandolino say we are experiencing a "short, sharp cold snap" and the weather will warm up as the week progresses.

Laura Douglas is in Kingston and owns the Real Country farm experience operation.

Dog attacks have spiked during lockdown with more people out walking their pets and exercising during the day.

Animal behaviour experts suggest dogs could be picking up on their owners' heightened anxiety.

Ruth Hill reports.

Forest and Bird says it has a plan that could create thousands of jobs and help make sure a better New Zealand comes out of the Covid-19 pandemic.

It's been talking to local and central government about ways to invest money during post-Covid recovery.

These include spending money on electric railways, ramping up pest and weed eradication and increasing Department of Conservation staff, particularly on the front-line.

Forest and Bird spokesperson Geoff Keey spoke to RNZ reporter Laura Dooney about the plan.