Covid-19 electronic sign, State Highway 1, Wellington

This photograph of an electronic billboard on State Highway 1 in Wellington was taken during the first Covid-19 pandemic lockdown when New Zealand was at Alert Level 4 (11.59pm on 25 March to 11.59pm on 27 April 2020). It was one of many scenes captured by Te Papa photographers who took their cameras with them when they went on local walks during lockdown.

During lockdown, anyone who was not an essential worker had to stay home in their 'bubble' to prevent community transmission of the virus. The message to ‘Stay Home. Save Lives’ appeared en masse in streets throughout New Zealand from the end of March 2020, either in poster form or on billboards. The photograph shows empty streets at what would normally be a busy intersection