In news many saw coming, the IOC president and the Prime Minister of Japan have agreed to postpone the Olympics by a year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
In a statement released overnight, they said the Games must be rescheduled “to safeguard the health of the athletes, everybody involved in the Olympic Games and the international community".
The Olympic flame will stay in Japan with the hope it will “become the light at the end of the tunnel” for the rest of the world.
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Kiwis scramble to get home
The deadline for domestic travel around New Zealand has been extended until midnight Friday, to allow many Kiwis a chance to get home for the country’s Covid-19 lockdown.
Transport Minister Phil Twyford announced the extension after domestic passenger services, particularly ferries, were inundated with people trying to get home before the original cut-off date of midnight tonight.
Picton’s ferry terminals were heavily congested yesterday after an influx of people who didn’t have tickets for crossing the Cook Strait tried to get on Interislander and Bluebridge ferries. KiwiRail said last night the extra two days of sailing would allow the Interislander to move an additional 3000 people in each direction.
Air New Zealand is also increasing capacity on its domestic services to allow more Kiwis to return home, however there appears to be no such luck for some New Zealanders still trapped overseas.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern warned yesterday that some “won’t make it back” to New Zealand in time, given several traditional routes through Asia have dried up entirely.
But if you’re able to get home – stay there. New Zealand’s number of new coronavirus cases rose by 40 yesterday to bring the total of confirmed and probable cases of Covid-19 to 155.
This came after an official survey showed there are 153 intensive care beds nationwide.
Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield said every action was being taken "early and fast" to avoid a worst-case scenario where intensive care beds might have to be rationed.
Govt clarifies essential services
The Warehouse and most of the country’s liquor stores will need to close when the national shutdown begins tonight.
After some confusion yesterday, the Government gave further clarification last night as to what constitutes essential services during the lockdown.
As well as noting that the Warehouse will, in fact, need to close for at least four weeks, MBIE Deputy Chief Executive Paul Stocks said dairies can remain open, but must operate on a strict ‘one in, one-out’ policy.
Frantic final preps for shutdown
With the national lockdown now just hours away, households and organisations have been moving to prepare for the upcoming four weeks of isolation.
Paymark data shows spending at food and liquor shops jumped sharply on Monday, as Kiwis stocked up on food and other items.
Stores like Mitre 10 say they’ve also had a significant lift in sales of DIY supplies over the past few days, while people were seen queuing outside Auckland gun shops yesterday.
Many businesses and other organisations are preparing for a new way of operating during the lockdown, too, with Countdown announcing new measures for shoppers.
These include limiting the number of customers in stores at any one time and Perspex screens at checkouts.
And as The Spinoff reports , domestic violence crisis services are also preparing for a rise in people needing support, with social isolation already proving to increase domestic violence rates overseas.
Mortgage holidays for some
As many businesses expressed fears yesterday that they may not be able to re-open following the country’s four-week lockdown, Finance Minister Grant Robertson announced people whose income is impacted by Covid-19 will be able to have a six-month mortgage repayment holiday .
The specific details of that initiative will be made public by banks in the coming days.
The Government yesterday also announced it’s putting $330 million towards air freight to keep essential goods moving across the coronavirus shutdown.
Transport Minister Phil Twyford said it was important to ensure the flow of critical imports like medicine, while also supporting exporters.
What about the kids?
With the school holidays being brought forward, educators have been looking at ways they can facilitate learning during these times of self-isolation.
Some schools have had to get creative , given many students around the country don’t have access to technology.
And if any parents are looking for tips on home schooling, Seven Sharp presenter Jeremy Wells has some here . (But the Ministry of Education probably wouldn’t advise following any of them.)
Other news of note this morning:
Fish & Game NZ and the Game Animal Council have told hunters to stay at home during the four week coronavirus lockdown – despite conflicting advice from NZ First.
The UK has recorded its highest number of coronavirus deaths in one day, with another 87 people losing their lives to Covid-19 there in the past 24 hours.
Chinese authorities are lifting the tight lockdown of Hubei province that was imposed to halt their own spread of the coronavirus.
And actor Robert De Niro has recorded a PSA telling everyone to stay home, warning he’ll be watching for anybody not complying.
And finally...
Having spent all of one day at home in isolation with my family so far, I can already see it’s going to be tough to be physically isolated from everybody else I know for the next four weeks.
As Re: points out, feeling socially isolated isn’t good for anybody, so as we get ready for a national lockdown, Baz Macdonald has put together these five tips for keeping social from a distance.
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