Rowan Quinn
Covid-19: Govt releases report on contact tracing progress
New figures show that just a week ago the country was still falling short of contact tracing targets - ten days into the current Covid-19 outbreak.
The government's released new data as well as a… Audio
Public health professor:use NZDF bases for quarantine
Masks should be compulsory attire for a night out to a restaurant or bar according to a leading public health professor. Otago University's Nick Wilson says the government's policy to make masks… Audio
Covid-19: Exhausted lab workers having trouble with demand
Exhausted lab workers working long hours on Covid-19 testing are warning safety could be compromised if the huge demand continues.
Auckland laboratories have been smashing their previous daily… Audio
Covid-19: Woman waited with other sick people to be tested
A woman tested at an Auckland pop-up clinic had to queue in a tent with other symptomatic people - with little social distancing and hardly anyone wearing a mask.
Auckland hit a record number of… Audio
Covid-19: Concerns virus could have been spreading for weeks
Covid-19 could been have spreading in Auckland for weeks, with dozens of people already infected.
Infectious disease experts say it's likely the four cases confirmed in a family on Tuesday are a few… Audio
Checkpoints in place at Auckland's border
Nine checkpoints are now in force around the Auckland supercity boundaries.
Travel in and out of the city is restricted to essential travel and freight movements.
RNZ's health correspondent… Audio
NZ doctor in Melbourne: mentally draining dealing with Covid
In Australia, a New Zealand doctor is dealing with as many as a hundred covid cases a day at the epicentre of the massive Melbourne outbreak. Former Wellingtonian Megan Robb is the director of… Audio
COVID ALERT LEVEL - Rowan Quinn
Bryan Crump Speaks to RNZ's Health Correspondent Rowan Quinn. Audio
Delays to cervical self-screening tests lead to more cancer
Doctors are pleading with the Ministry of Health not to further delay a cervical cancer self-screening test they say will save lives. The test for the virus which causes the cancer, is much less… Audio
Auckland public health tried to get out of contact tracing requirements
Auckland's public health service tried to get out of having to meet big new Covid-19 contact tracing requirements, saying it thought they were unnecessary.
Like all public health units, it was asked… Audio
Lack of urgency around measles vaccinations last year - GP
A plan to find and vaccinate hundreds of thousands of young New Zealanders who may not have measles immunity is due to be laid out by the government today.
Doctors say if they had acted earlier the… Audio
Fewer babies born early during lockdown
A leading obstetrician says she hopes new evidence that shows fewer babies were born prematurely during the lockdown could help prevent future early births. Hospitals in Denmark and Ireland revealed… Audio
Doctors investigate why there were fewer premature births under lockdown
Doctors say there were fewer babies born prematurely in New Zealand's lockdown - following a trend also seen overseas.
They say understanding what's behind the change could help save some babies from… Audio
Thousands of children are overdue a dental check-up
More than 135,000 Auckland children are overdue a dental check-up. Covid 19 restrictions have made long standing waiting lists in the city worse. Auckland woman, Ellie, has seen first hand how the… Audio
The Best of First Up for Friday 26 June
On the podcast today, A father shares how lifechanging it's been since his son with cystic fibrosis got much needed medication funded by Pharmac and New Zealand adds another international womens… Audio
Football Ferns goalkeeper excited about NZ's winning FIFA bid
Goalkeeper Erin Nayler and the Footbal Ferns team spent an anxious night awaiting the announcement from FIFA on New Zealand's bid to host the Women's World Cup. Audio
NZ On Air 'calls for industry vetting after convicted paedophile worked on children's show What Now
New Zealand on Air is calling for an industry standard to vet staff who work around children on TV shows - after it was revealed children's show What Now employed a convicted sex offender. It was… Audio
Rotorua hotel in lockdown as community testing rates jump
RNZ understands a managed isolation hotel in Rotorua is in lockdown.
It comes a week after Northland and Auckland experienced near-record demand for Covid-19 testing in their regions.
RNZ's health… Audio
Wrangling the monster that is our health system
The new Health and Disability Review is said to be the biggest shake up of the health system in a generation - so what was wrong with it in the first place? Audio
Wrangling the monster that is our health system
The new Health and Disability Review is said to be the biggest shake up of the health system in a generation - so what was wrong with it in the first place?
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