Covid 19 coronavirus: Easter Bunny and Tooth Fairy deemed 'essential services' by Jacinda Ardern

News that will delight children in lockdown: The Easter Bunny will be on duty this Easter, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has confirmed.

In Monday's press conference, the Prime Minister clarified that the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy are essential workers delivering essential services and, as such, continue to operate throughout the alert level 4 lockdown.

The Prime Minister has a special idea for children to do this Easter. Photo / 123rf

The Easter Bunny is exempt and is allowed to break the bubble to visit Kiwi households.

However, there is a chance the bunny might not be able to visit everyone.

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

However, the Prime Minister suggested that "maybe in lieu of the bunny being able to make it to your home, you can create your own Easter hunt for all the children in your neighbourhood".

"Maybe draw an Easter egg and pop it on your front window and help the children in your neighbourhood with their own Easter egg hunt because the Easter Bunny might not make it everywhere this year."

She later posted a template online for kids to color in.

"You can draw your own Easter egg, or you can colour in the one that some of my clever friends helped to make," she wrote.

"All you have to do is colour it in or decorate it, and pop it in your window for other kids to find. I'd also love to see your designs."

View this post on Instagram

This is a message for the kids of New Zealand. I’ve been asked by lots of you whether the Tooth Fairy and the Easter Bunny are an essential service (I even got asked in a press conference today!) I have good news, the are! But because we’re all in isolation at the moment, the Easter Bunny might not make it to every house this year (they probably have to look after their own Bunny family too). So just in case, I’m wondering if you’ll help me create an Easter egg hunt for all the children in your neighbourhood? You can draw your own Easter egg, or you can colour in the one that some of my clever friends helped to make. All you have to do is colour it in or decorate it, and pop it in your window for other kids to find. I'd also love to see your designs. If you email them to primeminister@parliament.govt.nz, or share them 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! P.S you can print a copy of this colouring sheet over on my Facebook page.

A post shared by Jacinda Ardern (@jacindaardern) on Apr 6, 2020 at 1:52am PDT

She invited pint-sized egg artists to email pictures of their work to her, or share them on social media using the #NZEggHunt.

"I'll pop a few of them here and on Facebook over the Easter weekend. Have fun everyone!"

• Covid19.govt.nz: The Government's official Covid-19 advisory website