Each time there’s a new community case, New Zealand draws breath, then sighs with relief as it is contained. It’s long past time we stopped accepting that such a volume of leakage is inevitable, argues Duncan Greive. Yesterday Auckland was delivered news of the most troubling case of Covid-19 in the community since the Americold … Read more
Good morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Rapid response taken to new community Covid case, calls for urgency on sick leave increase, and the situation internationally. A community case of Covid-19 is causing alarm, given at this stage there are no established links to the border or a managed isolation facility. The government … Read more
So much has changed since the UK’s last lockdown earlier this year, writes New Zealander in London George Fenwick – but also, not much at all. My bike got stolen the weekend before Lockdown 2. I’d been enjoying a last hurrah with friends at a local pub, and was three pints deep when we emerged … Read more
Welcome to The Spinoff’s live updates for November 12, covering all the latest New Zealand news, updated throughout the day. Reach me on stewart@thespinoff.co.nz 8.40pm: All Auckland University exams tomorrow to be online Auckland University has announced that following the community Covid case reported today, all exams scheduled for tomorrow, Friday November 13, on central … Read more
With a Covid-19 vaccine potentially on the horizon, here’s how the markets reacted to the news. On Tuesday, pharmaceutical company Pfizer and biotechnology company BioNTech jointly announced that one of its vaccines was found to be 90% more effective in preventing Covid-19 in participants than those who received a placebo injection. Currently, the vaccine is … Read more
In new series Coming Home, Duncan Greive and Jane Yee meet some of the many highly skilled New Zealanders who’ve returned in 2020 to hear their stories and explore what their return means for all of us. The pandemic has handed New Zealand a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity – how do we stop it slipping through our … Read more
Welcome to The Spinoff’s live updates for November 11, covering all the latest New Zealand news, updated throughout the day. Reach me on stewart@thespinoff.co.nz 7.00pm: The day in sum The Reserve Bank of New Zealand announced a new funding for lending programme will be rolled out next month. The impacts of Covid-19 on Auckland Council … Read more
Welcome to The Spinoff’s live updates for November 10, covering all the latest New Zealand news, updated throughout the day. Reach me on stewart@thespinoff.co.nz 7.30pm: The day in sum There was one new case of Covid-19 in managed isolation. Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer announced a breakthrough on a Covid-19 vaccine, with early trials suggesting it protects … Read more
A potential Covid-19 vaccine is showing promising signs during overseas trials, and 1.5 million doses could arrive in New Zealand as early as the start of next year. A potential vaccination for Covid-19 that’s been tested on 44,000 people is being hailed a success as early trials show it working in 90% of patients. University … Read more
Good morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: PM rules out increasing core benefit levels before Christmas, Napier hit with both water restrictions and flooding emergency, and NZ exports to UK under threat over rodeo concerns. The PM has ruled out increasing core benefits before Christmas, disappointing anti-poverty campaigners. Speaking at her post-cabinet press conference (skip … Read more
Critical capacity issues at ports around New Zealand are making retailers worried that they won’t be able to import stock ahead of the Christmas rush. Alex Braae reports. Traffic jams of container ships are building up around Auckland’s port, and retailers are concerned they won’t get imported stock in time to sell it for Christmas. … Read more
More and more community cases linked to the border have been detected in recent days, first in Christchurch, then in Auckland, and now in Wellington. Justin Giovannetti looks at what’s happening. Community cases of Covid-19 linked to quarantine facilities have been reported in New Zealand’s three largest cities over the past week, but director general … Read more
Welcome to The Spinoff’s live updates for November 9, covering all the latest from the US election along with New Zealand news, updated throughout the day. See the latest results on an interactive US map here. Reach me on stewart@thespinoff.co.nz 7pm: The day in sum Four new cases of Covid-19 in managed isolation were announced. … Read more
New Zealand’s public health infrastructure has swung wildly between comprehensive and chaos over the past century. Preventive and social medicine expert Dr Warwick Brunton says there’s never been a better time to learn from the past and reimagine public health in Aotearoa. Anxieties about significant rundown of public health capacity in the Ministry of Health … Read more
Good morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Tough week looms for National, PM congratulates president-elect Joe Biden, and community case acts as another reminder to use the Covid app. Not an awful lot of attention has been paid to them since the election defeat, but National is about to be back in … Read more
Welcome to The Spinoff’s live updates for November 7-8, covering all the latest from the US election along with New Zealand news, updated throughout the day. See the latest results on an interactive US map here. Reach me on jihee@thespinoff.co.nz 8pm: The day in sum Joe Biden was declared the next president of the United … Read more
Welcome to The Spinoff’s live updates for November 6, covering all the latest from the US election along with New Zealand news, updated throughout the day. See the latest results on an interactive US map here. Reach me on stewart@thespinoff.co.nz 8.10pm: Auckland quarantine worker tests positive for Covid-19 A worker at the Auckland quarantine facility … Read more
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern today addressed the business community in her first policy speech since last month’s election. Here’s what she had to say. What’s all this then? Speaking amid the din of the US election and new lockdowns across Europe, Jacinda Ardern today outlined her government’s economic plans to New Zealand’s business community. Referencing … Read more
Welcome to The Spinoff’s live updates for November 5, covering all the latest from the US election along with New Zealand news, updated throughout the day. See the latest results on an interactive US map here. Reach me on stewart@thespinoff.co.nz 6.30pm: The day in sum The US election remained on a knife-edge, with Joe Biden’s … Read more
Across Aotearoa, Māori responded to the unique needs of their communities during the peak of Covid-19. Two Māori organisations share the lessons from their success. Hutia te rito o te harakeke Kei hea te kōmako e kō? Whakatairangitia, rere ki uta, rere ki tai; Ui mai ki ahau, He aha te mea nui o te … Read more
Welcome to The Spinoff’s US election live blog: election news, analysis and reaction, updated throughout the day. See the latest results on an interactive US map here. Reach me on catherine@thespinoff.co.nz. 9.45pm: And that’s a wrap, for now With most of the United States fast asleep and much of the vote counting halted for the … Read more
Good morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Wellington’s future being thrashed out, second community case in Christchurch, and the US election is finally here. An issue that hasn’t been covered heavily in The Bulletin recently is the various issues coming to a boil in the capital city. The decisions made now have the … Read more
Welcome to The Spinoff’s live updates for November 3. All the latest New Zealand news, updated throughout the day. Reach me on stewart@thespinoff.co.nz 7.45pm: The day in sum There were five new cases of Covid-19 in managed isolation, and another case in the Christchurch community linked to the Sudima managed isolation facility. In response to … Read more
Good morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Who’s up and who’s down in Ardern’s new cabinet, new Covid-19 community case in Christchurch, and Ngāi Tahu taking Crown to court over freshwater. Throw out all those articles you read predicting who would get what ministerial jobs – they were pretty much all wrong … Read more
The second wave of coronavirus currently hitting Europe threatens not just public health but the social order, writes Matt Fitzpatrick. After a summer of relative freedom of movement, autumn has brought a major spike in Covid-19 cases in many European countries. While the European Union fruitlessly searches for a united way forward across its various … Read more
Welcome to The Spinoff’s live updates for November 2. All the latest New Zealand news, updated throughout the day. Reach me on stewart@thespinoff.co.nz 8pm: New Covid-19 case in Christchurch community announced The Ministry of Health has confirmed one new case of Covid-19 in the community. The case is a staff member working in a managed … Read more
Good morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Greens sign cooperation agreement with Labour, Ardern to make cabinet announcements today, and where to now for drug reform after referendum falls? Green party delegates have ratified a deal with Labour that will give them ministerial portfolios, but mostly outside of cabinet where the big … Read more
Welcome to The Spinoff’s live updates for October 31-November 1. All the latest New Zealand news, updated throughout the day. Reach me on aliceneville@thespinoff.co.nz 1.00pm: Two new Covid-19 cases in managed isolation There are two new cases of Covid-19 today, both detected in managed isolation during routine testing, says the Ministry of Health. On arrived … Read more
Crowd-hater Michelle Langstone discovers a new appreciation for the maelstrom of humanity. I’ve always found crowds panic-inducing, sweaty, noisy and lacking in manners. My attitude to crowds is akin to an 80-year-old woman who’s cross about the neighbour’s dog getting into her garden — no time for it, inclined to give people a real dressing … Read more