New Zealand’s prime minister confirmed the Easter Bunny and Tooth Fairy are ‘essential’ workers

Millions of kids are dealing with disappointment over canceled birthday parties and school events due to the coronavirus quarantine. It can be hard for kids to understand why special occasions have been put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but don’t worry, there is still magic and wonder for children to enjoy.

That is why the New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern made a point to let her youngest constituents know that the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy have not been put on furlough.

In a special news conference on April 6, the Prime Minister made sure to include notes in her national address for children who may be dealing with fears and sadness during this difficult time.

“You’ll be pleased to know that we consider both the Tooth Fairy and the Easter Bunny to be essential workers,” said Ardern, who is the mother of a little girl. “But 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.”

However, Ardern did note that it is important to avoid public Easter egg hunts or other neighborhood events that could violate social distancing guidelines, instead encouraging children to color Easter eggs on paper and hang them up in the windows of their homes or apartments.

On her Instagram page, the Prime Minister shared an image of an Easter egg that parents can print for kids to color and then hang up. This is a wonderful idea which is also being enacted in America as well. (Print out your own Easter egg sheets here or simply draw your own and cut them out).

https://www.instagram.com/p/B-oiYu2g_Cq/?utm_source=ig_embed

As a mother herself (and the second woman to ever give birth as an elected head of government), Ardern is a special position to understand how difficult this time can be for families. The Prime Minister has worked tirelessly to help ensure that New Zealanders stay safe during this pandemic, and thus far the nation has been quite successful: As of press time, they have only suffered one death as a result of the coronavirus thanks to their proactive safety measures.

“Our case rate and death toll is well below other comparable countries,” Ardern recently said to the press. “Yes, we had the benefit of time because our distance and because our early border and mass gathering measures also made a difference there.”

It’s good to know that the Easter Bunny will still be able to visit our homes even as we all work hard to flatten the curve.