The Easter Bunny is an 'essential worker,' New Zealand leader assures kids
The novel coronavirus crisis is continuing to affect countries around the world, leading to spiking levels of unemployment.
In many places, only essential workers are allowed to do their jobs outside the home. But the Easter holidays are approaching, and some kids are worried.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern put their minds at ease.
"You’ll be pleased to know that we do consider both the tooth fairy and the Easter Bunny to be essential workers,” she said on Monday. “But as you can imagine, at this time they’re going to be potentially quite busy at home with their family as well and their own bunnies.”
New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern confirms Easter Bunny is classed as an “essential worker” but it might be “difficult for the bunny to get everywhere” in current circumstances.
Tooth fairy also confirmed as an essential worker. pic.twitter.com/Jv6o4t2tkG— Daniel Rosney (@DanielRosney) April 6, 2020
"I say to the children of New Zealand, if the Easter Bunny doesn't make it to your household, we have to understand that it's a bit difficult at the moment for the bunny to perhaps get everywhere," she added.
New Zealand has been under lockdown since March 25. The strict measures instructed all residents to remain at home unless they were doing "essential work" like buying food, picking up medicine or seeking healthcare. The country has 1,106 confirmed cases of the new coronavirus, and one confirmed death.
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Ardern went on to suggest that households create egg hunts for children in their neighborhoods by placing pictures of eggs in their windows.
Later in the day, Ardern shared a coloring page for an Easter egg on Instagram, asking people to "take part in the Big New Zealand Easter Egg Hunt and make this Easter extra special" by coloring in the template and hanging it in their windows.
The Easter Bunny will be reporting for duty on Easter Sunday elsewhere, as well.
Mark McGowan, a politician in Western Australia, signed a "Special Eggs-emption" for the Easter Bunny after a 9-year-old girl wrote him a letter concerned that the bunny wouldn't visit her home.
A 9-year-old girl wrote a letter to the Premier of Western Australia because she was concerned that the Easter Bunny couldn't get access to the State due to Covid-19. Here is what she got back... pic.twitter.com/K8tXdogSUa
— First Choice Books (@firstchoicebook) April 4, 2020
On April 2, Rhode Island governor Gina Raimondo said that "The Easter Bunny is an essential worker and cannot get coronavirus" during a press briefing designed to answer questions from children.
Easter Sunday 2020 will be celebrated on April 12. President Donald J. Trump initially expressed interest in having "the country opened up and raring to go by Easter," but has since extended social distancing guidelines through April 30.
