Morning Report

The Warriors will decide this morning whether to stay in Australia or return to New Zealand and remove themselves from the NRL.

First it was supermarkets being cleaned out of toilet paper and hand sanitiser, but now it seems spooked shoppers have garden supplies in their sights as concerns about the Covid-19 virus grow.

Garden centres say sales of seedlings have gone through the roof while nurseries are scrambling to meet demand.

RNZ Taranaki Whanganui reporter Robin Martin has more.

The fruit picking industry will be without thousands of workers as New Zealand locks its borders at the start of harvest season.

Nikki Johnson is the chief executive of New Zealand Kiwifruit growers.

An aviation commentator says Air New Zealand will need a bail out to the tune of around up to $3 billion.

The airline has slashed capacity on its long haul network, suspended flights and raised the need to reduce costs due to the collapse of global travel in the coronavirus pandemic.

Air New Zealand announced earlier this week they would be getting rid nearly 4000 staff to cope.

Irene King is an aviation commentator.

Around 1100 hospital buildings or key parts of them are in poor or very poor condition, some unusable or facing imminent failure.

The first ever government stocktake of public health assets has been revealed to Insight and it also shows it will cost billions to fix them.

Phil Pennington has been investigating and paid a visit to Palmerston North Hospital.

Supermarket shelves continue to run out of toilet paper and hand sanitiser as Covid-19 fears drive panic buying.

Countdown has introduced limits on some items, and Pak 'n' Save's owner Foodstuffs says it's prepared to do the same.

Mackenzie Smith reports.

The Health Minister says the testing for Covid-19 needs to focus on those suspected to have the virus, rather than anyone who is concerned.

David Clark speaks to Philippa Tolley.

Older New Zealanders and their families are planning what to do if they have to stay apart because of Covid-19.

In the UK, people over 70 have been told to prepare to self isolate for several weeks and here, some rest homes are limiting visitors.

Health officials say contact with friends and family is still very important for everyone - as long as care is taken.

RNZ Health correspondent Rowan Quinn has been talking about Covid-19 with Aucklanders in their 70s and 80s who are living independently.

Kiwis are struggling to get back into the country as the aviation industry severely reduces international flights and borders around the world abruptly close.

Some of the stranded now believe the New Zealand government is the only hope they have for making it back home.

Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters says the government is working on plans to get New Zealanders home - including possible mercy flights.

He speaks to Corin Dann.

New Zealand's borders are shut for the first time in history.

The call was made last night to close the border from one minute to midnight.

Jacinda Ardern says the significance of the decision is not lost on her.

Chen Liu is at Auckland Airport.