These two crocheted teddy bears, portraying former prime minister Jacinda Ardern and former director-general of health Sir Ashley Bloomfield, were created during the full lockdown experienced by all New Zealanders in March and April of 2020. The cause of the lockdown was the outbreak of a highly contagious respiratory coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, which emerged in Asia at the end of 2019.
So how, cut off from neighbours, their community and the world, did New Zealanders cope with the lockdown? They explored the media to link to the outside world. They surfed the net and called family, friends and work colleagues on Zoom. They listened to the radio, and watched streamed content on televisions or computers. They followed news of the growing death tolls overseas, gaining comfort from the low numbers of cases and deaths here.
THE 1PM SHOW
Many tuned in each day to a 1pm news
