Morning Report

There is continued criticism of the way Florida is dealing with the coronavirus pandemic.

The US southern state was slow to introduce any restrictions on movement and socialising which is a concern because a quarter of the population in Florida is over 60.

There are close to 6000 confirmed cases in Florida with 71 deaths.

Florida's Govenor Ron DeSantis copped plenty of flack for his slow response to the outbreak, allowing beaches, bars, restaurants and theme parks to remain open and not issuing a statewide stay at home order.

DeSantis has instead introduced screening of travelers from Coronavirus hotspots in the United States, primarily New York. Florida correspondent Mathew Peddie speaks to Corin Dann.

People caught short with undelivered or broken appliances are relieved they can now order some essential goods online or by phone.

The government is now allowing the online sale of some essential goods, which people may need to safely isolate, stay connected to one another and work or study from home.

Resuming online sales may help retailers weather the storm.

Paymark's latest figures show there was a 72 percent drop in spending the first day of lockdown compared with the same day a year ago.

RNZ reporter Amy Williams spoke with its spokesperson Paul Brislen, who says the ground has changed under retailers' feet.

The owner of a fruit and vegetable shop in Westport says he's having to let $25,000 dollars worth of produce rot, despite his best efforts to give it away to people in need.

After finding out his shop would need to close during the lockdown, Pat O'Dea, who is the former mayor of Buller, planned to put all his produce out on the street for people to take.

Civil Defence staff told him he couldn't do that because of the health risk, so O'Dea approached the Salvation Army, who began making food parcels and delivering them to peoples' doorsteps.

They stopped after Civil Defence asked them to disinfect the fruit and vegetables first.

O'Dea told RNZ reporter Katie Todd it defies logic that liquor can be delivered, but not fresh, free fruit and vegetables.

People with empty cupboards and the newly unemployed are desperately seeking financial support from the government but many are struggling to get through.

Work and Income is fielding an unprecedented number of calls for people trying to access the jobseekers allowance, emergency food grants and wage subsidies - with 75,000 calls in just four days.

Eva Corlett reports.

News from the rural and farming sector.

A brief update from the business sector.

A Christchurch midwife is concerned that some families are continuing to let people into their bubbles to visit their new babies.

Belinda Marker says midwives are having to re-think home visits to reduce the chance of catching or spreading Covid-19.

She says they are concerned by government advice that they don't need protective wear.

Yesterday, the government announced it would send seven million masks to front-line health workers, including midwives.

Marker told Leigh-Marama McLachlan that masks are just one part of it and they also need sanitizer, medical grade wipes and disposable gloves.

An infectious diseases specialist says new, wider Covid-19 testing rules still won't test enough people to give a true picture of community transmission.

The Ministry of Health says people can now be tested simply for having Covid-19 symptoms rather than - in most cases - needing to have had contact with a case or been overseas.

But epidemiologist Ayesha Verrall says the ministry is still relying on cases to turn up.

Instead it should be out looking for them.

She says everyone who turns up to their GP or calls Healthline with cold or flu symptoms should be tested but that still won't find everyone.

She says the people who don't go to their doctor need to be found and there are a lot of different ways to do that.

New Zealand doctors manage, against the odds, to get to their hands on more life-saving ventilators, And the restrictions ease for online sales of some essential household and workplace items

A freelance sports commentator in the UK may be out of work - but that doesn't mean he's out of material.

Nick Heath has turned to commenting on daily life in London, from shoppers at a market, to mothers pushing strollers, and dogs playing at the local park.

He speaks to Susie Ferguson.