Covid-19: 49 people in hospital, 5 in intensive care, 39 cases

Can't view this email, [click here]( 19 December 2021 Hi {NAME}, Catch up on today's latest news in your daily briefing. Top Headlines [Large Article Image]( [Covid-19: 49 people in hospital, 5 in intensive care, 39 cases]( The Ministry of Health announced on Saturday there are 49 people with Covid-19 in hospital and 39 new community cases across four regions. [Share article on Facebook]( [Share article on Twitter]( [Large Article Image]( [Auckland paramedics at 'breaking point', city five ambulances down on Friday night]( St John is asking staff in the South Island to fly to Auckland to cover the shortage. [Share article on Facebook]( [Share article on Twitter]( [Small Article Image]( ['I feel absolutely worthless': Chronic fatigue sufferers can't get Covid-19 vaccine exemption despite expert support]( Getting “lumped in with anti-vaxers” has made Alenna McLean feel angry and despondent to the point of considering suicide. [Share article on Facebook]( [Share article on Twitter]( [Small Article Image]( [Barefoot Australian man chases down thief making off with beloved LandCruiser]( Cameras caught husband dashing outside and leaping into the vehicle, his wife then rushes in wielding a timber plank. [Share article on Facebook]( [Share article on Twitter]( [Small Article Image]( [Quiz: Afternoon trivia challenge: December 18, 2021]( Which is the first event in a heptathlon? [Share article on Facebook]( [Share article on Twitter]( [Small Article Image]( [Kiwi AFL star Dustin Martin mourning death of father in New Zealand]( Police found Shane Martin dead at a property on his street this week. [Share article on Facebook]( [Share article on Twitter]( National news [Small Article Image]( [Covid-19: Boy's death brings call for south Auckland children to get vaccine first]( Councillor Efeso Collins calls for "immediate" vaccine roll-out to Māori and Pacific children after a boy with Covid died in Counties Manukau. [Share article on Facebook]( [Share article on Twitter]( [Small Article Image]( [Lotto: $1m split between north and south]( The winning tickets were bought in Auckland and Christchurch. [Share article on Facebook]( [Share article on Twitter]( [Small Article Image]( [Covid-19: Child under 10 becomes youngest case to die]( The Ministry of Health has confirmed a child aged 0-9 is the youngest Covid-19 case to die in New Zealand. He tested positive for Covid after he died. [Share article on Facebook]( [Share article on Twitter]( [Small Article Image]( [Man left with critical injuries after serious assault at Lower Hutt party]( The man underwent emergency surgery at Wellington Hospital, while a second man lost "a lot of blood". [Share article on Facebook]( [Share article on Twitter]( Technology [Small Article Image]( [Close call with parcel delivery text scam prompts warning]( He fell for a scam doing the rounds across New Zealand, but got back up in time to stop his accounts being raided. [Share article on Facebook]( [Share article on Twitter]( [Small Article Image]( [Covid-19: Smartphone sales soar along with app help queries]( Entry-level smartphones have become a must-have for many with the introduction of Covid apps, and with them, the need for help. [Share article on Facebook]( [Share article on Twitter]( [Small Article Image]( [Fun coding holiday activity for NZ children and teens]( This summer, Coding NZ is giving all NZ children and teens aged 9 to 18 the opportunity to learn coding in free holiday coding activities. [Share article on Facebook]( [Share article on Twitter]( [Small Article Image]( [No, Elon Musk isn't the Person of the Year - but he's not totally undeserving]( OPINION: Elon Musk is Time magazine's Person of the Year 2021. And as always with Elon, the reaction to the news has been a mixed bag. [Share article on Facebook]( [Share article on Twitter]( [Small Article Image]( [Documents link Huawei to China's surveillance programs]( Presentations by the company suggest it has ties to voice analysis, detention centre monitoring, location tracking and facial recognition. [Share article on Facebook]( [Share article on Twitter]( [Small Article Image]( [Why Apple will now let you fix your iPhone]( Apple's U-turn on repairs signals wider pressure on Silicon Valley to cut down on e-waste. [Share article on Facebook]( [Share article on Twitter]( Business [Small Article Image]( [Covid-19: Ministry of Health assessing border settings in light of Omicron]( One of the settings being assessed is the 72 hour pre-departure testing requirement. [Share article on Facebook]( [Share article on Twitter]( [Small Article Image]( [Top NZ restaurant Hiakai cuts back to two nights a week amid staff shortages]( A lack of qualified and experienced people has forced Wellington's award-winning restaurant to temporarily reduce its hours. [Share article on Facebook]( [Share article on Twitter]( [Small Article Image]( [NZ's first carbon-zero brewery, The Fermentist, closes its doors]( Lion could no longer absorb the losses from its unprofitable carbon-zero brewery, The Fermentist Brewery and Taproom in Christchurch. [Share article on Facebook]( [Share article on Twitter]( [Small Article Image]( [Whizz kid: 13-year-old high schooler builds NFT portfolio worth $219,600]( Bala Sharma, like many teens, loves cricket, reading and hanging out with mates. He's also built an investment portfolio worth more than $200,000. [Share article on Facebook]( [Share article on Twitter]( [Small Article Image]( [Cable that could connect NZ to South America and Antarctica moves closer]( NZ-founded company Hawaiki awarded contract by Chile to help with cable's design. [Share article on Facebook]( [Share article on Twitter]( [Small Article Image]( [Covid-19: The 'over it' economy kicks in as the country sits at traffic lights]( OPINION: The frustration people feel at Covid-19 and the pandemic is showing itself in the unprecedented number of people setting up new businesses. [Share article on Facebook]( [Share article on Twitter]( Rural [Small Article Image]( ['Nothing was in scope' with Waimea dam investigation]( Questions around the Waimea dam project remain unanswered after an independent investigation, says Tasman District councillor Dean McNamara. [Share article on Facebook]( [Share article on Twitter]( [Small Article Image]( [Fagan disappointed with more shearing competition cancellations]( Shearing Sports New Zealand chairman Sir David Fagan says it’s disappointing competitions continue to be cancelled because of Covid-19 pandemic. [Share article on Facebook]( [Share article on Twitter]( [Small Article Image]( [Tapping into Elon Musk's low-earth orbit satellites]( Start-up Canterbury tech company IoSphere is using solar gateways on rural blocks to tap into low-orbit satellites. [Share article on Facebook]( [Share article on Twitter]( [Small Article Image]( [Hawke's Bay pumpkin milk wins big in New York]( The product made by one of NZ's largest buttercup squash growers is recognised at the World Plant-Based Awards in New York. [Share article on Facebook]( [Share article on Twitter]( [Small Article Image]( [Australian beekeepers win manuka honey trademark battle against New Zealand producers]( Australian beekeepers have won a four-year trademark battle in Britain amid a long-running dispute with Kiwis over who can claim the term “manuka honey”. [Share article on Facebook]( [Share article on Twitter]( [Small Article Image]( ['No red flags' in information given to councillors over Waimea dam]( An investigation into the information provided to Tasman district councillors about the Waimea dam project finds it was generally robust with no evidence of bias. [Share article on Facebook]( [Share article on Twitter]( World [Small Article Image]( [Blue whales spotted off Timor-Leste in record numbers ‘extremely hungry’]( Fishermen in canoes have helped spot 500 pygmy blue whales over the past three months, but some are so emaciated their bones are showing. [Share article on Facebook]( [Share article on Twitter]( [Small Article Image]( [Denmark to shut down public venues as coronavirus infections rise]( The country's PM says theatres, cinemas, concert halls, amusement parks, museums and art galleries across the country must close down under new restrictions to contain the spread of coronavirus. [Share article on Facebook]( [Share article on Twitter]( [Small Article Image]( [Australia: More than $1m raised for families for bouncy castle tragedy]( Australia's PM is set to meet with the families of the five children killed in the bouncy castle accident in Tasmania as the country reels from the tragedy. [Share article on Facebook]( [Share article on Twitter]( [Small Article Image]( [US police investigating man as possible serial killer after four victims found]( Police allege man used a shopping cart to transport bodies for disposal. [Share article on Facebook]( [Share article on Twitter]( [Small Article Image]( [Ghislaine Maxwell declines to testify as defense rests case]( Ghislaine Maxwell's defence rested its case after two days of presenting evidence on the British socialite's behalf. Not among that evidence: testimony from the longtime Jeffrey Epstein associate herself. [Share article on Facebook]( [Share article on Twitter]( [Small Article Image]( [US Capitol riots: Toughest sentence yet for any rioter - over 5 years]( A Capitol rioter who attacked police officers working to hold back the angry pro-Trump mob on January 6 was sentenced more than five years behind bars. [Share article on Facebook]( [Share article on Twitter]( Entertainment [Small Article Image]( [Beauty and the Beast: At 30, it is still the greatest animated movie of all time]( REVIEW: The movie that restored Disney's fortunes is an endearing and enduring classic. [Share article on Facebook]( [Share article on Twitter]( [Small Article Image]( [Eric Clapton wins lawsuit against German woman who listed a bootleg CD of one of his concerts on eBay]( The 55-year-old woman who did not sell the Clapton CD, and claimed to not know it was a bootleg, has been ordered to pay nearly US$4000 in court fees. [Share article on Facebook]( [Share article on Twitter]( [Small Article Image]( [Station Eleven: Audacious, addictive new pandemic drama comes to Neon and SkyGo]( REVIEW: With as much emphasis placed on the characters and emotional drama as the sci-fi elements, this is a show that is easy to get hooked on. [Share article on Facebook]( [Share article on Twitter]( [Small Article Image]( [Clifford the Big Red Dog: Doggone it - this predictable canine caper disappoints]( REVIEW: While it will likely keep under-eights enthralled, for most adults, the mix of pratfalls and scatological humour will be an endurance test. [Share article on Facebook]( [Share article on Twitter]( [Small Article Image]( [The Spider-Men ranked: Who was the best Peter Parker?]( Spider-Man: No Way Home is long-rumoured to feature all three live-action Spider-Men. But who's the best: Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield, or Tom Holland? [Share article on Facebook]( [Share article on Twitter]( [Small Article Image]( [My very Kiwi 15 minutes with Ben Affleck: 'Oh! Eeets Imily!']( The details from the company promoting Ben Affleck’s new film clearly labelled our interview “Zoom: Audio only”. So it was a shock when, I was suddenly thrown into a video call with a dapper-looking Affleck. [Share article on Facebook]( [Share article on Twitter]( Sport [Small Article Image]( [Joseph Parker bulks up for Derek Chisora rematch as Kiwi looks to make a statement]( Kiwi heavyweight breaks new ground as he weighs-in significantly heavier than the first fight against the British slugger. [Share article on Facebook]( [Share article on Twitter]( [Small Article Image]( [Sprinter Zoe Hobbs sets new unofficial New Zealand women's 100m record]( After missing selection for the Tokyo Olympics, the sprinter has finished the year on a high with a blistering 11.27s win in Auckland. [Share article on Facebook]( [Share article on Twitter]( [Small Article Image]( [Kiwis fail to fire as spectacular crash mars first day of SailGP regatta in Sydney]( Peter Burling's Kiwi crew needed something spectacular in Australia, but couldn't summon the magic. [Share article on Facebook]( [Share article on Twitter]( [Small Article Image]( [Alyssa Whinham knocking on the door as Wellington Phoenix consider changes]( The 18-year-old is already being talked about as a potential Football Fern. [Share article on Facebook]( [Share article on Twitter]( [Small Article Image]( [Ashes: Malan, Root lead England fightback in second test v Australia in Adelaide]( The pair batted through the first session of day three in Adelaide, again taking up the challenge of trying to turn their side's Ashes fortunes around. [Share article on Facebook]( [Share article on Twitter]( [Small Article Image]( [Ashes: Joe Root's test conundrum continues as England struggle in Adelaide]( The English captain again failed to convert a test half-century into a ton in Australia as the hosts again piled on the pressure in Adelaide. [Share article on Facebook]( [Share article on Twitter]( Stuff daily quiz Have you taken part in today's quiz? [See what it takes to reach the top of the leader board.]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Unsubscribe]( [Newsletter Settings]( [Privacy Policy]( [Advertise]( [Feedback](