Morning Report

Two-thirds of New Zealand's Covid-19 cases so far are in older people but the patterns are still too "idiosyncratic" to draw any strong predictions from, a researcher modelling the virus says.

New Zealand has 155 confirmed cases of the coronavirus and the Ministry of Health has released age, gender and location details for 142 of them.

Like many countries overseas, many of New Zealand's coronavirus patients are older people, with 94 of the confirmed cases in people aged 40 and older.

RNZ reporter Kate Newton has been looking at the details of the cases confirmed so far.

Around 800,000 children are about to learn that there's no escape from school work - even during a global pandemic and national lockdown.

They've been ordered home for nearly five weeks and today their teachers are spending one last day in the classroom getting ready for at least a fortnight of online learning.

RNZ education correspondent John Gerritsen has been talking to principals about what they are doing.

Families are asking for clarity around care arrangements for children whose parents are separated.

With the lockdown coming into place tonight there are questions about what will be allowed and what won't.

Justice Minister Andrew Little speaks to Susie Ferguson.

Worried parents from an Auckland secondary school are trying to work out how to best isolate their children after the whole school was declared closed because of coronavirus.

There are now four confirmed cases of Covid-19 at Marist College in Mount Albert.

Because of the high number, health authorities said all of the roughly 750 students and the teachers and staff must be treated as close contacts. A parent and board member, former RNZ journalist Mihingarangi Forbes, says parents are trying to find out how to make isolation work while the rest of the family is in lockdown.

In a letter to parents the school says being a close contact does not mean their children will necessarily contract Covid-19 but they need to take precautions.

Forbes says it's a stressful time and she is sending aroha to the whole school community.

Germany is organising mercy flights to repatriate its citizens from New Zealand.

The first flight is expected to arrive on Friday.

Thomas Sparrow is our correspondent in Berlin.

The Tokyo Olympic Games are being postponed.

The games were due to begin on 24 July will now take place no later than next year's northern hemisphere summer.

The delay, the first ever in peacetime, was agreed between the Japanese Prime Minister and the head of the International Olympic Committee.

New Zealand Olympic Committe chief executive Kereyn Smith speaks to Corin Dann.

Parliament is being suspended for almost five weeks after urgent business is dealt with today.

A new cross-party committee has been set up to allow for continued scrutiny of the government's Covid-19 response - which involves many billions of dollars.

The parliamentary group will meet remotely two or three times a week and be led by National Party leader Simon Bridges.

It will have powers to interrogate ministers or public servants on their actions around the pandemic.

Bridges speaks to Susie Ferguson.

Hospitals and medical centres could face a shortage of doctors and nurses tomorrow.

That's the warning of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists which says there hasn't been enough time for medical professionals to arrange care for their children.

Schools are closed and children now need to be cared for at home.

Essential workers were given extra time to make arrangements, but only until tomorrow.

Sarah Dalton is executive director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists.

She speaks to Corin Dann.

The Council of Trade Unions is accusing some employers of bad behaviour in the face of the Covid-19 crisis.

One of the complaints is that employers are compelling staff to use sick leave or annual leave to cover the level four isolation period that begins at midnight.

Finance Minister Grant Robertson speaks to Corin Dann.

The clock is ticking, in just under seventeen hours, the country will be in a coronavirus lockdown.

Everything will be shut and everyone will be stuck in their homes - unless they're involved in an essential service.

After much confusion the Government is this morning providing more clarity about what counts as an essential service.

The Warehouse, which yesterday declared it would stay open, will have to close all its stores.

Retailers that play a role in the construction supply chain, such as Bunnings, Placemakers and Mitre 10, will remain open to trade customers for essential purposes.

Dairies will be allowed to remain open, but only to one customer at a time.

Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment deputy chief executive Paul Stocks speaks to Susie Ferguson.