Covid 19 coronavirus: What you need to know about Friday's big developments

A record number of Covid-19 tests have been carried out, the amount of new cases in New Zealand stays in the single digits, Anzac Day looms and there is a new way to pay respects from inside your bubble. Get all the important news and read the full stories in the links below.

Key developments in NZ

• Industry complaints have caused Government officials to reverse their position on banning children from using playground equipment at childcare centres in level 3. The Ministry of Health ruled that outdoor playgrounds can be used at childcare centres, allaying fears children would have to remain indoors all day at daycares. However, education bosses have reaffirmed playground equipment remains off limits for schools, which usually have playing fields and other spaces for children to play, without the need to climb on equipment.

• New Zealand has its 17th coronavirus-related death, a man in his 60s from the Rosewood Rest Home in Christchurch. He is the 10th person from Rosewood to die from the virus. The country has five new Covid-19 cases; two confirmed and three probable cases. There are eight people in hospital, one in ICU in Middlemore. There were 6961 tests yesterday - a new daily record - and the Ministry of Health is developing a more targeted testing plan to give it a better insight into Covid-19 across the country.

Director of public health Dr Caroline McElnay gave the media briefing today. Photo / Getty Images

• Concerned residents at one of Auckland's most popular beach hotspots are calling for police blockades as the lockdown lifts. With the alert level to be lowered to 3 from Tuesday, New Zealanders are allowed to expand their bubble, but have been advised to "keep it regional". For many, that will mean hitting the water after a month of lockdown, as water-based activities including swimming, surfing and kayaking are all allowed close to shore. But the Muriwai Beach community of 1000 residents, many of them retirees, are worried about the looming influx of Aucklanders.

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• Dentists say they feel shut out by the Government, which still refuses to give clear guidance on when or how they will be able to operate. The dental association has revealed close to 20,000 New Zealanders are missing out on dental care each day, and about 45 per cent of practices are considering letting staff go.

In depth

• New Zealand could be years away from returning to normal unless the Government injects millions into launching a Covid-19 vaccine programme. That is the warning from some of our country's top scientists, with researchers fearing that without our country making any contribution to the global vaccine effort, New Zealand could be left behind.

A select audience gets to attend the 1pm conferences. Photo / File

• It's a scene most New Zealanders are now all too familiar with. Tens of thousands of New Zealanders watch the Government's media briefings every day, but only a select few are actually allowed in the Beehive theatrette. Jason Walls takes you inside NZ's favourite reality TV show – the 1pm press conference.

Business update

Shotover Jet has been forced to close. Photo / Mike Scott

• Many of New Zealand's top tourist attractions - including the Shotover Jet - are closing as Ngāi Tahu Tourism announced the loss of more than 300 jobs. The Christchurch-based powerhouse business owns attractions such as the Shotover Jet near Queenstown, Franz Josef Glacier Guides, Rotorua's Agrodome and Rainbow Springs, and the Dark Sky Project in Tekapo. The tourism attractions no longer have any revenue and even when the industry is reestablished, it is expected to take a long time to recover.

• More than $17 million paid to businesses through the wage subsidy scheme has had to be refunded to the Government after businesses which were not entitled to the scheme took the money. The Government is now looking into criminal prosecutions for businesses who have wrongly taken taxpayers' money.

• The Warehouse Group has sent a letter to some of its staff asking them to take a pay cut of between 10 and 20 per cent as it grapples with a significant drop in earnings. Staff earning between $60,000 and $100,000 have been asked to take a 10 per cent pay cut and those earning anything above to take a 20 per cent cut. There are concerns that those that do not agree to a pay cut will face the prospect of redundancy.

Around the world

• The Kiwi nurse credited by UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson for saving his life has shared what it was like at his bedside. Invercargill-born Jenny McGee was singled out by Johnson as one of the nurses integral to his recovery from Covid-19, after he spent three nights in intensive care. McGee has thanked New Zealanders and Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern for their messages.

• Africa registered a 43 per cent jump in reported Covid-19 cases in the past week, highlighting a warning from the World Health Organisation that the continent of 1.3 billion could become the next epicentre of the global outbreak. The surge in infections on the continent is almost certainly under-reported and even higher in reality, medical experts say. The WHO's recent report painted a grim picture for Africa, one of the last continents to be hit by the pandemic, warning the virus could kill more than 300,000 people and push 30 million into desperate poverty.

• Covid19.govt.nz: The Government's official Covid-19 advisory website

In sport

• Sport New Zealand has released new information about sport and recreation – including the sports which you can play from Tuesday onwards. Here's what you need to know about what you can and can't do during level 3.

Paying respects

Anzac poppies adorn a home in Devonport. Photo / Brett Phibbs

• New Zealanders might not be able to commemorate Anzac Day the traditional way this year, but we're hoping you can help line the streets with poppies by putting our special Anzac poster in your window. For the first time in history, Anzac Day dawn ceremonies will not take place this April 25, because of Covid-19 restrictions. As a way to pay respects, New Zealanders are being urged to "never forget" from inside their bubbles by placing images of poppies in their windows, including a special-edition poster from Herald artist and cartoonist Rod Emmerson, which you can download here.