Morning Report

Club and community rugby has been cancelled until next month due to coronavirus.

School Sports New Zealand has also suspended all events on its national calendar.

Both School Sports NZ and New Zealand Rugby will review their decisions in April.

The Chairman of New Zealand Amateur Sport Association, Gordon Noble-Campbell, speaks to Susie Ferguson.

Elderly living in rest homes around the country are facing the prospect of not being able to leave their villages for outings.

Visitors are also likely to be more limited, except for those who are frail or in palliative care.

Amy Williams filed this report.

A Dunedin family has gone into isolation for two weeks as they anxiously wait to find out if more people at Logan Park High School may be infected with coronavirus.

The school is closed today and tomorrow while health officials track down contacts of a teenage student who caught the disease from his father.

The boy is the country's 12th case - the test results from another family member are not back yet.

Vicki is worried that her son who goes to Logan Park has now been exposed to Covid-19 putting at risk his brother who suffers from a serious lung condition.

He's a student at another school.

She told our news editor Mary Wilson about her reaction when the school emailed her about the latest case.

The National Party leader is accusing the Government of getting its priorities wrong in its emergency economic package.

Simon Bridges says the Covid-19 package puts money in the pockets of beneficiaries faster than it does most businesses.

He speaks to Corin Dann.

Government is promising to keep spending as and when required to get New Zealand through a recession that's now almost certain.

It says its $12.1 billion economic package to support businesses and workers during the Covid-19 crisis is just the start.

Struggling workplaces will receive $585 a week per full-time employee for 12 weeks - up to a maximum of $150,000 per business.

Even so the Finance Minister Grant Robertson says not every business and job will be saved.

He speaks to Corin Dann.

The government is promising to keep spending as and when required to get New Zealand through a recession that's now almost certain.

It says its $12.1 billion economic package to support businesses and workers during the Covid-19 crisis is just the start.

Struggling workplaces will receive $585 a week per full-time employee for 12 weeks - up to a maximum of $150,000 per business.

Even so Finance Minister Grant Robertson says not every business and job will be saved.

Michael Hollings owns four hospitality businesses in Wellington and has been staring down the barrel of bankruptcy.

The owner of Gisborne-based Stirling Logs, Gavin Edmonds, says the package is a welcome relief.

Sam Sutton from Rotorua Rafting says the package might mean his 14-person business makes it through the next 12 weeks.

Beneficiaries will get an immediate and permanent increase of $25 a week - and the winter energy payment will be doubled this year.

This sole parent is over the moon with the extra money.

But for the leader of the opposition, Simon Bridges, yesterday's announcement was an opportunity to take potshots at the government.

A public health expert believes the Government should be doing more - and should close all schools and cut public transport now.

Professor Michael Baker is from the Department of Public Health, University of Otago, Wellington.

He speaks to Susie Ferguson.

Governments worldwide are making cash injections to stave off the worst effects of the economic hit from attempts to contain Covid-19.

President Donald Trump wants to pump US$850 dollars into the US economy.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Tuesday that the Trump administration wants to get emergency funds in Americans' pockets "immediately" amid the coronavirus crisis.

The Federal Reserve is launching a special fund to keep credit flowing in the US economy, as part of emergency measure as the world spirals toward a recession.

New Zealand Rugby is working on a domestic competition to replace the suspended Super Rugby tournament, despite postponing all club and community rugby for a month.

News from the business sector, including a market report.