The missing trampers who sparked a massive search and rescue operation in Kahurangi National Park will not face any charges even though they were on a risky multi-day tramp, which was forbidden during level 3 lockdown.

Dion Reynolds and Jessica O'Connor were found on Wednesday after 19 days lost in rugged terrain, at times in bad weather and totally out of food, but suffering only minor injuries.

The 23-year-olds entered the bush on May 8, even though New Zealand had been told to stay at home as much as possible and only to engage in low-risk activities that would avoid the need for rescues or medical care. That included restricting tramping to day walks on easy trails.

Nelson Bays Area Commander Inspector Paul Borrell told Checkpoint the trampers, who are now both safe and well, will not receive a formal warning because getting lost is not an offence. view all

 

 
 
Documents obtained by Checkpoint have revealed numerous issues and a serious lack of consultation before the launch of the Police's Armed Response teams.

The trials were launched in Counties Manukau, Waikato and Canterbury, last year in response to the Christchurch mosque attacks.

But internal documents, obtained by Checkpoint under the Official Information Act, detail numerous issues.

And as Nick Truebridge reports, papers show racism training has also been proposed to curb the ART's potential impact on Māori communities. view all

 

 
 
Worshippers will return to Linwood Mosque today for the first Friday prayers since gathering restrictions were loosened to allow groups up to 100.

RNZ visited the mosque, where reporter Conan Young found treasurer Abdul Aziz laying marks on the floor to ensure people prayed at a safe distance. view all

 

 
 
 
On February 29, New Zealand had one active case of Covid-19. On Friday May 29, exactly three months on, there is now only one active case of Covid-19, with no new cases reported for a seventh day in a row.

The Health Ministry says seven more people have recovered and the total of confirmed and probable cases remains at 1504.

Auckland University Professor Shaun Hendy tells Lisa Owen New Zealand's path to Covid-19 elimination is a "huge deal". view all

 

 
Buses are back, campervans are going cheap and thousands of Kiwis are hitting the road for the long weekend.

It's the first public holiday we've had since lockdown restrictions eased and plenty of New Zealanders are taking the opportunity to see a slice of their own backyard.

For some it's a holiday - for others it's a chance to catchup with much missed friends and family.

Checkpoint cameraman Nick Monro and reporter Nita Blake-Persen headed out to hear about people's getaways - they filed this report view all

 
 
A Facebook page for Hawke's Bay farmers struggling with severe drought is being credited with saving lives. 

The lack of rain, lack of feed and trouble selling, or sending stock to the meat works because of Covid-19 restrictions is putting untold pressures on farmers. 

But as Anusha Bradley and Dom Thomas found, one young farmer's efforts are providing a little relief to those in need.
 
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Chow restaurant is a well-known casual dining spot in central Wellington and employs 35 staff. 

The booths and tables at Chow can usually seat up to 176 people, but takeaways have kept the business ticking over in level 3. 

Like most other restaurants in the city though, income is still far below pre-Covid levels. 

Chow's co-owner Rob Scott spoke with Checkpoint reporter Logan Church about running a business on a knife-edge.
 
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Restaurateur Al Brown is champing at the bit to reopen when New Zealand's Covid-19 level 3 lockdown eases to level 2.

Brown's three Auckland businesses - Depot, Federal Delicatessen and Best Ugly Bagels - have been closed under level 4 and level 3 lockdown. So Thursday's announcement on level 2 rules brought some hope. 

But for those in the business of food and drink, the new-found freedoms come with strict rules. Under level 2, restaurants and bars have to be able to seat all customers. 

They must be separated according to social distancing rules, and only one server can wait on a table. 

"I'm hoping that single server means one server can serve a number of tables but no one else can serve those tables," Brown told Checkpoint.
 
 
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Restaurateur Al Brown is champing at the bit to reopen when New Zealand's Covid-19 level 3 lockdown eases to level 2.

Brown's three Auckland businesses - Depot, Federal Delicatessen and Best Ugly Bagels - have been closed under level 4 and level 3 lockdown. So Thursday's announcement on level 2 rules brought some hope. 

But for those in the business of food and drink, the new-found freedoms come with strict rules. Under level 2, restaurants and bars have to be able to seat all customers. 

They must be separated according to social distancing rules, and only one server can wait on a table. 

"I'm hoping that single server means one server can serve a number of tables but no one else can serve those tables," Brown told Checkpoint.
 
 
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Tourists who dock on the shores of Aotea Great Barrier Island could soon be turned away, with some locals preparing to set up a checkpoint there during alert level 2. 

Checkpoint organiser Kelly Klink says with no hospital on the island and elderly making up a large proportion of the population, it is a necessary step to keep the island safe. 

But police have made it absolutely clear they will not support it. 

Te Aniwa Hurihanganui reports.
 
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How a top Auckland chef is facing the Covid-19 lockdown struggle
 
Despite several days of queues at takeaway stores across the country, the next few weeks will reveal how many food businesses will actually be able to survive the impacts of Covid-19. 

Indira Stewart and cameraman Dan Cook went to visit struggling chef and business owner William Chung to hear his story. view all

 
 

 
 
If New Zealanders vote to legalise cannabis, there will be a cap on how much is grown every year, set by an authority that will also divide the quota between licenced growers. 

The government has released the final version of the Cannabis Legalisation and Control Bill. It is at the centre of two referendums that will be voted on at this year's election. 

That same Cannabis Regulatory Authority will decide the potency of cannabis products, who gets licences, where commercial premises can set up and it will also collect tax. 

Justice Minister Andrew Little told Checkpoint the cap will be set according to estimates of current use. view all

 

 
 
A veteran New Zealand retailer is on a rent strike in what she describes as a battle to survive after losing an estimated $1 million in turnover in the last six weeks due to Covid-19. 

Homeware store Redcurrent has been trading for more more than two decades and has 10 stores - half of them in malls including Westfield. 

Under lockdown level three face-to-face retail is banned - with all malls closed - and it is uncertain what exactly will happen under alert level 2. 

Redcurrent owner Rebecca Kain says landlords cannot expect to be paid if she cannot open for business. view all

 

 
 
For the first time since the Covid-19 outbreak New Zealand has recorded no new cases and no deaths. But there is a strong warning, now is not the time to celebrate as New Zealand is not out of the woods yet. Cabinet met on Monday to discuss what level 2 would look like - if it makes the decisions to move out of Level 3 next Monday. And in another first, the Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern will beam into Australia's national cabinet meeting on Tuesday, at the invitation of Scott Morrison. RNZ political editor, Jane Patterson, filed this report. view all

 

 
Hundreds of students and staff at Auckland's Marist College are being offered Covid-19 tests in a bid to reassure the community. Ninety-four people connected with the school have tested positive for the coronavirus, making it the country's second largest cluster. Mackenzie Smith reports. view all

 

 
 
Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield said like many people he had enjoyed a takeaway coffee this morning, but it was not an excuse to congregate outside cafes and eateries.

"Please do maintain the physical distancing that will be imperative in alert level 3.

"We do not want to see the sorts of rebound that we have seen in other countries." view all

 
 

 
 
Overnight on Tuesday, New Zealand moved into lockdown level 3, where takeaways and drive-throughs can reopen, so long as they can ensure completely contactless transactions. 

Many drive throughs saw huge queues of people who couldn't wait to get their first hash brown, milkshake or burger.

Producer Ellie Jay and video journalist Simon Rogers went out in the early hours to see who was first in the queue. view all

 

 
 
In Auckland, it was all about coffee and the prospect of expanding bubbles as New Zealand adjusted to life under lockdown level 3. 

Level 3 eased some restrictions to breathe some life back into the economy, and allow a few more activities - but strict bans remain on socialising or group gatherings.

With new Covid-19 safety practices in place across the board, it has taken some work, but businesses and shoppers say they are just happy to get the money moving again.

Checkpoint cameraman Nick Monro and reporter Nita Blake-Persen headed out to catch the view all

 

 
 
 
The owner of an Auckland mall says some business are not paying their rent even though she's giving them a 50 percent discount and the smaller operators need more help from the government.

Glenfield Mall owner Dallas Pendergrast says some of the 115 tenants wont survive the massive restrictions on retail during lockdown down and now alert level 3.

She told the epidemic select committee on Tuesday that small businesses do not want the Prime Minister's thanks for toughing it out, they need help like rent subsidies because compassion does not pay the bill.

Mrs Pendergrast says some businesses will never re-open and the cost of running a mall is still high even thought it is largely closed. view all

 

 
A South Taranaki iwi says 70 percent of the people it stopped at a checkpoint near the small town of Patea were flouting the rules under alert level 3 and that is why some communities needs to take things into their own hands. 

A number of towns around Aotearoa have set up checkpoints screening people coming in and out, in a bid to keep Covid-19 at bay. 

Debbie Ngarewa Packer of Ngāti Ruanui says of the 40 people who passed through today, just 12 had a valid reason. view all

 
 
 

 
Staff at McDonald's in New Plymouth were braced for a rush on Tuesday morning as New Zealand adjusted to lockdown level 3 inwhich for many meant a return to work. And they weren't disappointed. Customers began queuing at the drive-through at 3.30am and by the time the fast-food restaurant opened at 5am, about 40 vehicles were snaking through the car park. RNZ reporter Robin Martin has more. view all

 

 
 
 
It was back to business for hundreds of thousands more New Zealanders on Tuesday, but business was far from usual.

Lockdown level 3 eased some restrictions to breathe some life back into the economy, and allow a few more activities.

But strict bans remain on socialising or group gatherings. With new Covid-19 safety practices in place across the board, it has taken some adjusting, but businesses and shoppers say they are just happy to get the money moving again.

Checkpoint reporter Logan Church and cameraman Dom Thomas have spent the day talking to business owners coming up with creative ways to operate under the new rules. view all

 

 
Kia ora koutou, tonight: The nationwide Covid-19 lockdown in New Zealand continues. view all

 

 
Under Covid-19 Alert Level Three New Zealand's glamorous shopping strips have become ghost towns and there are fears they might never be the same again. 

Expensive rents and a sales downturn meant the retail sector was already struggling - the coronavirus has only compounded that. 

There is no clear end in sight. Under the just-announced Level Three rules, stores will only be able to open for delivery and contactless pick-up. 

Lydia Batham reports. view all

 

 
Police Minister Stuart Nash discusses the details of what Covid-19 Alert Level Three will look like when New Zealand moves out of Alert Level Four lockdown. view all

 

 
Police Minister Stuart Nash discusses the details of what Covid-19 Alert Level Three will look like when New Zealand moves out of Alert Level Four lockdown. view all

 

 
News from the business sector, including a market report.
 

 

 
Former travel managers, bar staff, event crew, and lighting technicians are among the dozens of staff who have started jobs stacking shelves at a new Countdown supermarket. 

The Auckland store is New Zealand's first online-only supermarket and will be able to fill up to 15,000 orders a week when it reaches capacity. 

It has created more than 100 new jobs - many of those have been filled by people whose worlds have been turned upside down in recent weeks from the Covid-19 fallout. 

On Thursday, Checkpoint cameraman Nick Monro and reporter Nita Blake-Persen went to meet some of them. view all

 
 
 
 

Regional health services are working harder than ever to look after vulnerable communities during the Level 4 lockdown. 

One of those is Hora Te Pai Māori health services in Kāpiti, who - aside from offering their usual medical services - is also giving out food to people who have lost their income or are struggling with the lockdown. 

This comes as the seriousness of Covid-19 hits home for the region, with confirmation this week a 70-year-old Kāpiti man died due to the disease. 

Hora Te Pai invited Checkpoint reporter Logan Church and cameraman Dom Thomas to see how they and their community are coping. view all