Covid-19 electronic sign, State Highway 1, Wellington

This photograph of an electronic billboard on State Highway 1 in Wellington was taken the day New Zealand moved to Covid-19 Alert Level 4 and went into lockdown. The nation was at Alert Level 4 from 11.59pm on 25 March to 11.59pm on 27 April 2020. The photograph is one of many scenes captured by Te Papa photographers who took their cameras with them when they went on local walks.

The message on the billboard is ‘Be Kind Stay Safe’, and it also gives the address for the government’s Covid-19 website: covid19.govt.nz. The messages to ‘Be Kind’ and ‘Stay Safe’ were communicated by the government across a variety of media, and were also picked up by artists and businesses wanting to show support.