Society

You’re scared, I’m scared too: A nurse on life on the Covid-19 frontline

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Nurses are the first people you’ll meet if you think you have Covid-19. Here, one of our frontline workers describes the rapid changes both healthcare workers and the public are facing. As told to Josie Adams. I was working at an urgent care clinic in East Auckland when the first reports of Covid-19 came out … Read more

Disabled people can’t be allowed to fall through the cracks of the Covid-19 crisis

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Robyn Hunt writes on the challenges facing disabled people and what needs to be done to support them in lockdown and beyond. Disabled people at higher risk need more help. Many of the almost one quarter of New Zealanders who are disabled are doing it hard as the country goes into lockdown. If the levels … Read more

High School 2.0: It’s time for education to prepare for the new normal

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As New Zealand looks toward an uncertain future in all areas of life, Auckland school principal Claire Amos sees an opportunity to change high school education for the better.  The last week has been an interesting one for school leaders. Monday arrived, it was all on – schools were closing the next day, schools across … Read more

History, hope, and Covid-19

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Covid-19 will transform society, just as the plague and smallpox transformed nations centuries ago. This time, however, we have something they didn’t, writes historian Ayelet Zoran-Rosen. Throughout history, epidemics and pandemics have been a threat to people and states. They strike societies with little or no notice, upend their social and economic patterns, seep through … Read more

Ohura Medieval Market Day, and the fight to keep a small town standing

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It’s a town where people often feel the rest of the country has given up on them, in the middle of a region where every place feels isolated. So how did Ohura become an unlikely centre of Medieval Combat sports in New Zealand? Alex Braae spent three days there finding out. This story was made … Read more

Can you go fishing under NZ’s level four lockdown? It’s a hard no from the ocean safety experts

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By now, everybody should know about staying in their bubble and leaving the house only for essential services and exercise, provided social distancing rules are followed. Does this mean people can still take the boat out, or go surfing?  “Staying at home will save lives,” said Jacinda Ardern in a question and answer session she … Read more

How is the govt handling Covid-19? The first opinion poll since NZ locked down

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As New Zealand entered national lockdown, The Spinoff commissioned social media polling company Stickybeak to measure the mood of the nation. Stickybeak co-founder David Brain reveals what the poll results show. As soon as prime minister Jacinda Ardern made her Monday afternoon announcement that the country was going to alert level three and then to … Read more

How to help, volunteer or donate to the fight against Covid-19

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Since the country has been told to Unite against Covid-19, many people have been putting their hands up in an effort to help out. But how? Here’s a guide to which organisations have the capabilities to put your energy to good use, and what practical steps you can take to support the community. Important note … Read more

Dispatch from the frontline: A supermarket checkout manager on life under Covid-19

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They’re not getting paid extra, they miss their families and they’re tired of people losing it over yoghurt. Leonie Hayden talks to a supermarket checkout manager about the craziest time of her career. Rosie* is the checkout manager for one of the large supermarket chains in a medium-sized New Zealand city. She calls her team … Read more

How to see your GP in lockdown New Zealand. And what you can do to help us

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Medical centres around the country have been instructed to reduce the number of in-person consultations they conduct by 70%. Toby Hills, a doctor based in Porirua, explains the rationale behind this and what the public can do to support our primary care system. Even during a pandemic, humans still get sick for other reasons. Appendixes … Read more

What artists need to know about Creative New Zealand’s new support package

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On Tuesday, Creative New Zealand announced the details of their $16 million Emergency Response Package addressing the impacts of Covid-19. Here are the specifics of it, along with some added clarity from CNZ CEO Stephen Wainwright. Over the past two weeks, the arts community has been devastated by Covid-19. Shows, gigs, exhibitions, and concerts have … Read more

There is relief. There is anger. And there is still a demand for answers

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This morning the Christchurch shooter changed tack and entered a guilty plea to 51 counts of murder, 40 of attempted murder and one under the Terrorism Suppression Act. We can now call him what he is: a terrorist. But there are questions that still need to be addressed, writes Anjum Rahman. I’ve just received the … Read more

The darkness fell so fast: A dispatch from Britain under Covid-19

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Government mistrust, confused messaging and fear have blighted the UK’s approach to the pandemic, says Jai Breitnauer, who recently departed NZ to move home to Britain. Stay home, stay safe, protect the NHS. That was the official text I got on my phone this morning, 24th March 2020, after an incredible 10 days of panic … Read more

Guidelines say stay at home. But what about those who don’t have one?

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We’re being told to stay home and limit social interaction, but for hundreds of New Zealanders sleeping rough that’s not possible. So what care is in place for them? On March 21, prime minister Jacinda Ardern issued a directive to New Zealanders: stay home. As of midnight last night, this rule has been enforced. Police … Read more

A whole bunch of questions about the Covid-19 lockdown, answered

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From laundromats and e-scooters to flat whites and Trade Me, we answer some of those lingering questions you might have about what is and isn’t available during the lockdown.  For the must-know rules around the lockdown, click here.  For a list of essential services, click here. Last updated: March 29, 6pm Food and drink Will … Read more

Siouxsie Wiles wants a word with your parents

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Such is the importance of New Zealanders getting behind the requirement to self-isolate, Siouxsie Wiles has been offering to personally telephone the parents of people worried they’re not taking it seriously enough. To save her repeating herself all night, we asked the tireless microbiologist and science communicator to commit it to video. If you have … Read more

Children are experiencing the pandemic too

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The world has suddenly shifted into disruption and uncertainty, and children’s lives are shifting with it. What does Covid-19 mean for children? I study children’s experiences of health and illness, and for my doctoral research I spent a year in an Auckland school listening to children about the rheumatic fever (RF) epidemic. Here’s what their … Read more

‘Essential services’: what stays open, and what must close, in lockdown NZ?

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New Zealand soon moves into alert level four to fight the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. Everyone is required to stay home as of 11.59pm Wednesday. Except essential services. What are those? Updated with new guidelines issued at 9.30pm on March 24 Announcing the historic decision to institute a nationwide shutdown as of Wednesday, Jacinda … Read more

Where do domestic violence victims go during the Covid-19 lockdown? 

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As Covid-19 forces New Zealand into lockdown, domestic violence crisis services are preparing for a rise in people needing support. Alex Casey reports.  Domestic violence agencies around the country are scrambling to increase and diversify their crisis services and refuge accommodation as New Zealand prepares to escalate to alert level four on Wednesday night. That … Read more

Chlöe Swarbrick: Take a moment. You’re not alone

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The world, and our lives, are transforming before us, writes Green MP Chlöe Swarbrick, who has been self-isolated for over a week. As our collective fast-paced metabolism meets a slowing down of the world around us, it’s time to look after your mental health. In the blink of an eye, the world has changed. What … Read more

A ready-to-go guide to getting your street connected for Covid-19 shutdown

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Mixing online and offline information, you can set up a network to keep in touch, and help those who need it. I’ve put together this how-to guide to help neighbours around Aotearoa quickly build the infrastructure to help the people who live on their street get virtually connected. This is just one way to do … Read more

What does the shutdown mean for schools, ECEs and universities?

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With New Zealand moving to the highest Covid-19 alert level within 48 hours, here’s how schools and early childhood facilities will be affected. What in the world is going on?  With New Zealand’s first cases of community transmission confirmed, the prime minister has announced an immediate lift in the Covid-19 alert status from level two … Read more