Collected news stories, with a current focus on Covid-19 recovery
Māori Television
The quarantine free travel bubble with the Cook Islands will remain open despite New Zealand's Covid-19 Omicron outbreak.
RNZ
The government announced last year it had advanced purchase agreements for 60,000 doses each of Molnupiravir and Paxlovid, but neither is approved for use here yet.
Stuff
Northland is dragging behind all other DHBs for vaccine uptake, and Māori health providers are agonising over how to protect their community.
RNZ
Representatives from manufacturing, food and grocery, and healthcare are all warning of serious shortages if the self-isolation period for close contacts of Covid-19 cases is not reduced.
RNZ
As the country prepared to move into red, the Manurewa marae held one final mass vaccination event.
RNZ
Making sure the game gets on the field is the main concern for Super Rugby Pacific this year.
RNZ
People should wear well-fitting N95 respirators instead of surgical masks to best protect themselves against the highly transmissible Covid-19 variant Omicron, public health experts say.
Rainbow’s End was visited by a case last week.
Two of the new Omicron cases are in the Nelson region, five are in Auckland and one is in Palmerston North.
Newsroom
Less than 72 hours after the Prime Minister announced the country would move to the red traffic light setting if Omicron got in the community, the call has been made. It will be a culture shock for many in the months ahead as Covid finally takes hold.
"The actions we take now and over the coming weeks could reduce the number of people who get infected," Professor Michael Plank says.
Stuff
Children as young as eight will have to wear a mask at school under the red light setting. Assemblies are out and schools may stagger breaks to keep year groups apart.
Stuff
Unvaccinated officers have been stood down and unless they can be redeployed, take unpaid leave or get a medical exemption, they will lose their jobs.
RNZ
The head of drug company Pfizer says an annual Covid-19 vaccine would be preferable to more frequent booster shots.
Stuff
Exposure events have included large gatherings and flights, and the chain of transmission is still unknown.
RNZ
Ministry of Health officials are reviewing the current advice around masks and the most effective ones as it is confirmed the highly transmissible Omicron variant is spreading in the community.
ZB
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has made an 11th hour appeal to New Zealand's 213,000-odd unvaccinated teens and adults: please reconsider. According to t
The three phases have been designed to expect up to 50,000 new cases a day in a worst-case scenario.
It follows the announcement the entire country will be moving to the Red traffic light setting from 11.59pm tonight.
RNZ
Workers at Auckland City Mission are helping plan for food supply disruptions and staffing strain, in case Omicron spreads in the city.
Kiwiblog | DPF's Kiwiblog - Fomenting Happy Mischief since 2003
The Epoch Times reports: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published a study on Jan. 7 which found that every one of the 189 vaccinated people who experienced a severe outcome after contracting COVID-19 had at least one risk factor, like being 65 or older. Scientists affiliated with the National Institutes of Health and the […]
The Prime Minister is holding a late notice media conference on Sunday morning.
RNZ
Northlanders are being encouraged to get tested for Covid-19, with two new cases confirmed in the region.
NZ Herald
Omicron is now circulating in Auckland and is also in the South Island, says PM.
Newshub
There are now six people with the highly transmissible variant.
the Guardian
Covid-19 has spread around the planet, sending billions into lockdown. Find out where the virus has spread, and where it is now most deadly
Stuff
Surviving enforced agoraphobia without losing your marbles requires planning, people and patience.
RNZ
Explainer - Under the red setting of the traffic light system, many New Zealanders will have to adapt to stricter rules around the use of face masks, RNZ is here to clear it all up.
Stuff
On the brink of a possible outbreak, health officials share advice on how to protect those too young to get the Covid vaccination.
Newsroom
As the Omicron outbreak ramps up, widespread Covid-19 infections across the country are set to become a reality. Dr Lynn McBain explains what to expect if you are infected, and how to manage your recovery.
The latest collected news from around New Zealand and globally, digging beyond the usual news websites. The current main focus is on Covid-19 recovery. Keep Reading
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