When officials – including police themselves – don’t seem clear on the rules around movement, it makes it harder for everyone to do the right thing, writes Andrew Geddis. Aotearoa New Zealand has committed to trying to eradicate the virus that causes Covid-19 from its shores. To do that, as a society we’ve moved to … Read more
Whether to connect with friends and colleagues, catch up on news, or stave off the boredom with bingeable TV, we’ve all been on our devices a lot more than normal. Vodafone has released a summary of its traffic stats for the past six days, which compares phone calls, broadband, and mobile data use against the … Read more
In our new series The Lockdown Letters, some of New Zealand’s best writers tell us what they’ve been up to in the days of Covid-19 alert level four. Today, Ōtaki author Renée. I have a wild tomato flopping all over the path down the back of the veg garden. I picked a tomato from it this … Read more
As New Zealand adjusts to a month of lockdown, many pet owners have questions about their furry friends. Alex Casey had a chat with the SPCA – here’s what she learned. AC: My cat had a disgusting abscess on his tail and now has to get his stitches out. Can I still take him to … Read more
Danyl McLauchlan writes about strange energy of preparing for level four, and the narrow new life which has emerged in the shadow of Covid-19. We start by setting up our home workspaces, covering the kitchen table with such a thick mass of black cables and USB hubs that the table itself is barely visible. I … Read more
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
Just a tiny handful of print publications will continue through the lockdown, with only daily newspapers specifically identified as being able to continue. Duncan Greive spoke to publishers of magazines and community newspapers about the impact on them and their communities. Publishers of magazines and community newspapers are reeling, after a ruling from their regulators … Read more
In our new series The Lockdown Letters, some of New Zealand’s best writers tell us what they’ve been up to in the days of Covid-19 alert level four. Today, political commentator and essayist Morgan Godfery. I’M TWEETING AT 2AM. The responsible part of my brain is sending sleep signals. Inconvenient yawns. The first. The second … Read more
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
Alert level four is on. Now let’s talk about the lag. Siouxsie Wiles explains, 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. Just before midnight on Wednesday March 25, Aotearoa New Zealand entered a countrywide alert level four lockdown. For … Read more
A poem by Wellington poet Jenny Bornholdt. Finance City bracketed by snow woollens airborne in the hall. Starved, our animal selves tore grass from the lawn, bark from the trees, trotted to where our children gnawed the bones of animals smaller than themselves. Was this the end of the world? Of childhood? … Read more
Amanda Thompson pulls her socks up, makes do and gets on with it. Cakes in a time of crisis are an excellent idea, as long as your current crisis is an entirely food-scarcity-free one. Baking is so calming and mindful, we know. If you’ve always wanted the time to really commit to learning how to … Read more
Today The Spinoff launches a new series, The Lockdown Letters, in which some of New Zealand’s best writers tell us what they’ve been up to in the days of Covid-19 alert level four. First, poet, essayist and Spinoff Friday Poem editor Ashleigh Young. I want to know how far I can ride my bike, so … Read more
With the beloved bubble that is Unity Books out of bounds for the time being, the world’s top booksellers had nowhere to put their expert reckons. And we wanted to plug the big hole where the bestseller lists used to be. So today we kick off a weekly series: a wrap of 10 books that … Read more
Want to avoid Covid-19? Skip the high dose vitamin C, and take a moment to learn about the statistical modelling that helps us understand how diseases spread. Shaun Hendy explains. Infectious diseases like Covid-19 spread from person to person. If, on average, every person who gets it goes on to infect two other people, then … Read more
In an effort to contain the spread of Covid-19, New Zealand has officially gone into lockdown. With people instructed to stay at home, streets, parks, playgrounds and roads have rarely been so empty. Here, we present a selection of the best images (Note: All photos were taken while practising physical distancing) For the must-know rules … Read more
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
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
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
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
Good morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: How the new alert system will work, dozens of new cases announced over weekend, and a great idea from several Wellington hotels. How will day to day life change with the new alert system aimed at combating Covid-19? To put it bluntly, it will have to … Read more