New Zealand had its highest number of daily deaths, but case numbers continued to fall as the government backed its finances and announced support for students.
Photo: RNZ / various
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Four more people died of Covid-19 in New Zealand in the last 24 hours, bringing the country's total deaths to nine, Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield revealed today.
However, the number of new cases also continued to fall to just 17, and was enough of a trend that Dr Bloomfield said New Zealand had definitely passed its peak.
For the first time on record, more New Zealanders arrived back in the country than left its shores.
Some Kiwis who have been in Wuhan are considering returning after the city's 76-day lockdown came to an end.
Overseas, Spain - one of the worst-hit countries - has begun to lift some of its lockdown measures.
Deaths
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the four deaths were a "sad and sobering reminder" that New Zealand needed to stay the course and also a reminder of "how much worse the spread and death toll would be had we not taken the action we have taken".
Photo: RNZ / Dom Thomas
Six of New Zealand's nine deaths from the virus were residents of the Rosewood Rest Home in Christchurch.
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Dr Bloomfield said just six of New Zealand's roughly 650 aged care facilities had reported cases as a result of hard work, and more funding for aged care would be announced this week.
Another of the people who died - an 86-year-old man who attending the Bluff wedding - has been named as Christos Tzanoudakis, co-founder and former president of the Cretans Association of New Zealand.
Employment and business churn
The first day after the Easter long weekend brought new announcements about job losses, with media company NZME announcing via the stockmarket it would cut 200 positions.
The owner of the New Zealand Herald and a range of regional newspapers, radio stations including Newstalk ZB and - before shutting it down - Radiosport, NZME said it expected advertising revenue to be about half what it was last year.
Asked about the cuts, Ardern said the government was looking at bringing in a response "very shortly".
Telecommunications company 2degrees is also looking at cutting about 10 percent of its workforce - about 120 jobs.
This afternoon, the parent companies of the Burger King fast food franchise in New Zealand went into receivership, with hopes of restarting the business when the lockdown lifts.
Finance Minister Grant Robertson said he would detail more support for businesses tomorrow.
He also said the government planned for more businesses to be able to open when the country dropped to a lower alert level than were allowed during the previous level-three alert.
Robertson also fronted to the Epidemic Response Committee to be challenged over the government's Covid-19 spending.
He said economic scenarios released by the Treasury today backed the government's positions on lockdown and employment support.
He was careful to reinforce the message that the best protection for the economy was to continue to fight the virus.
The continued job cut announcements show some are still slipping between the cracks of the government's support nets.
Out of work pilots have been stacking shelves, changing jobs to become supermarket stockers amid fierce competition for work.
Shelves emptied of goods ahead of the lockdown. While supermarket workers have been rushed off their feet, many pilots have lost their jobs. Photo: Gus Argyle
Coby McGill, a 70-year-old health worker, has also had to go without pay for sticking to the rules. Her workplace, like many others, had not lost 30 percent of its revenue so said it did not qualify for the essential workers leave scheme.
However, Ardern sent a clear message to district health boards that casual staff who had their hours slashed should continue to be paid.
Airline technicians would have been busy meanwhile with putting jets into storage: each plane takes about 400 hours to store long term.
Support for students?
Ardern this afternoon revealed a government support package for students, allowing tertiary students to borrow another $1000 on top of the previous $1000 limit for course-related costs.
Support payments for students unable to study online would also continue for another eight weeks, and Education Minister Chris Hipkins said rules would be changed so no one would be disadvantaged if they had to abandon studies for the year because of the virus.
Education Minister Chris Hipkins Photo: Dom Thomas
That one-off loan for course resources may not be enough to safeguard those students losing part-time jobs who say the weekly student allowance is not enough to pay for rent, food and power - let alone an internet connection which would allow them to continue their courses online.
Meanwhile, primary and secondary schools are set to resume teaching again tomorrow.
One principal has called for NCEA level 1 to be suspended for the year, and the required credits for higher levels reduced.
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