covid-19

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

Children talk to grown-ups about Covid-19

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Emily Writes speaks to children throughout the country about how they’re feeling right now and what advice they might have for grown-ups. The Spinoff’s coverage of the Covid-19 outbreak is funded by The Spinoff Members. To support this work, join The Spinoff Members here. About one third of New Zealand households have children. And today those … Read more

The Bulletin: A question of fairness

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Good morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Pulling the threads of fairness in a crisis, state of national emergency declared, and case numbers top 200. New Zealand is now officially in a state of lockdown, with level four restrictions coming into place at midnight last night. There are plenty of pieces of news … Read more

Covid-19 live updates, March 26: Without lockdown, 89% of NZ could be infected

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For all The Spinoff’s latest coverage of Covid-19 see here. Read Siouxsie Wiles’s work here. New Zealand is currently in alert level four. The country is shut down, apart from essential services. For updated official government advice, see here. The Spinoff’s coverage of the Covid-19 outbreak is funded by The Spinoff Members. To support this work, join The Spinoff Members … 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 & Toby Morris: You’re waking up in lockdown New Zealand. Here’s how it works

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Alert level four is go. Let’s talk bubbles. Siouxsie Wiles explains what it’s all about, with illustrations by Toby Morris. Read Toby Morris’s new Side Eye comic, created with Siouxsie Wiles, here. And more of Siouxsie’s writing here. On Saturday March 21, Jacinda Ardern announced a four-level alert system for responding to the Covid-19 pandemic … 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

Help is here: A new Kiwi skill-sharing app to connect people during isolation

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A team of volunteers have built and launched an app over the weekend in the hope of uniting New Zealanders to help each other through Covid-19. Its creator explains how Voluntarily.nz works. New Zealanders are rapidly entering isolation as we try to contain the spread of Covid-19. My company Vend sent our global workforce home … Read more

How politics, police and power work in lockdown New Zealand

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And who watches over the use of that power? Law professor Andrew Geddis on the way authority operates at Covid-19 alert level four.  Most of the time, we think of governing in pretty immediate terms. How effectively has the minister messaged their transport policy? Does the coalition have the numbers in the house to pass … 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

The Bulletin: Message to NZers overseas changes – seek shelter, not passage home

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Good morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: MFAT advice to NZers overseas changes, parliamentary scrutiny to continue amid adjournment, and an essential piece to read on the shutdown rules. As of yesterday, the message to New Zealanders overseas has changed. Last week, foreign minister Winston Peters warned those who wanted to return that … Read more

Covid-19 live updates, March 25: Prince Charles tests positive; emergency alert goes out

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For all The Spinoff’s latest coverage of Covid-19 see here. Read Siouxsie Wiles’s work here. New Zealand is currently in alert level three. As of 11.59pm tonight we go to level four: the country shuts down, apart from essential services. For updated official government advice, see here. The Spinoff’s coverage of the Covid-19 outbreak is funded by The … Read more

Lessons from lockdown France

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In Paris, the institution of a lockdown triggered a great deal of scoffing and appeals to liberty. Now it’s New Zealand’s turn, and we have to decide whether we’re going to give it the seriousness it demands, writes Jack Goldingham Newsom, a New Zealander just returned from Paris to another national lowdown. France confirmed its first … 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

‘You can’t really control it’: Economists on how the shutdown will change NZ

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With a mandatory four-week shutdown about to come into force to prevent the spread Covid-19, New Zealand’s economy faces one of the most uncertain periods in its history. We ask two leading economists to help us find meaning in the madness. There may come a time in the next few days or weeks when you … 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

The case for a huge Covid-19 benefit reform

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With mass unemployment coming, some existing benefit rules are going to exacerbate people’s problems. The size and suddenness of the Covid-19 shock has highlighted just how far New Zealand has allowed its welfare system to run down. The government yesterday announced extensions to its wage subsidy scheme and that it is “expediting urgent work on … Read more

The Bulletin: NZ faces future after extraordinary, historic day

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Good morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: We’re going to level four by Wednesday night, Robertson massively expands economic package, and political parties put country above politics. As you might be able to imagine, there’s a bit of news to get through this morning. The effective shutdown of the country (which for clarity, … Read more

Covid-19 NZ live updates, March 24: Dairies stay open, not liquor stores; three more cases from Auckland school

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For all The Spinoff’s latest coverage of Covid-19 see here. Read Siouxsie Wiles’s work here. New Zealand is currently in alert level three. As of 11.59pm on Wednesday we go to level four: the country shuts down, apart from essential services. For updated official government advice, see here. The Spinoff’s coverage of the Covid-19 outbreak is funded … 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

‘The stark choice’: Jacinda Ardern’s national shutdown speech, in full

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Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern today announced that New Zealand will be moving to the highest Covid-19 alert level within 48 hours. Here is her speech in full. The Cabinet met this morning to discuss our next actions in the fight against Covid-19. Like the rest of the world, we are facing the potential for devastating … Read more

Covid-19 NZ live updates, March 23: New Zealand prepares for nationwide shutdown

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For all The Spinoff’s latest coverage of Covid-19 see here. Read Siouxsie Wiles’s work here. An explainer on self-isolation is here, on social distancing here. For updated official government advice, see here. The Spinoff’s coverage of the Covid-19 outbreak is funded by The Spinoff Members. To support this work, join The Spinoff Members here. 8.10pm: The day in sum Prime minister … Read more

Covid-19: The doctor behind the petition to move to alert level four

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Kevin Ward, an urgent primary care physician, is behind a petition urging the government to shift to the highest alert level. Danyl Mclauchlan spoke to him. On Saturday the prime minister revealed the nation’s four-level Covid-19 alert system. We’re currently on level two, which means, among other things, that people aged 70 and over should … Read more