The Easter Bunny, Tooth Fairy Are 'Essential Workers,' Says New Zealand Prime Minister

Even a global pandemic can't stop the Easter Bunny and Tooth Fairy. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern reassured the children of her country that the mythical figures are considered "essential workers" during a Monday coronavirus press conference. Ardern, who has a 21-month-old daughter, asked kids to be understanding if the Easter Bunny wasn't able to make all its usual stops on Easter this Sunday.

"As you can imagine, at this time, of course, they're going to be potentially quite busy at home with their family, as well, and their own bunnies," Ardern said." And so, I say to the children of New Zealand, if the Easter Bunny doesn't make it to your household, then we have to understand that it's a bit difficult at the moment for the bunny to perhaps get everywhere." 

While the Easter Bunny will do its best to get to each home, Ardern explained an idea for kids and their families to "create your own" Easter egg hunt. She encouraged families to draw an egg and display it on their windows, so other kids in a neighborhood can spot them from a safe distance.

Ardern later posted an Easter egg template on her Instagram for children to color in or decorate and dubbed the initiative The Big New Zealand Easter Egg Hunt. "I'd also love to see your designs," she said in the post, asking families to email their masterpieces to primeminister@parliament.govt.nz or share their creations on social media using the hashtag #NZEggHunt. "I'll pop a few of them here and on Facebook over the Easter weekend. Have fun everyone!"

New Zealand declared a state of emergency and went on lockdown on March 25. All people in the country, excluding workers providing essential services, are to remain in their homes, except "as permitted for essential personal movement," according to the government's coronavirus site. 

Supermarkets, pharmacies and food banks remain open, but all places where the "public congregate" have been ordered to close. There have been more than 1,100 confirmed cases of the disease in the country, with one death reported, according to numbers from Johns Hopkins University.