How three Chinese families survived NZ's Covid lockdowns

New Zealand's Chinese community was forced to confront challenges that seemed to come from all sides in the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic that had started to spread across the globe in 2020.

The government barred entry to most travellers from China in early February in response to a coronavirus that had been traced to the city of Wuhan in central Hubei province, cutting off family members trapped overseas.

At 11:59pm on 19 March 2020, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern closed the country's borders to non-citizens and non-residents from all locations in response to the rising number of Covid-19 cases in New Zealand.

Less than a week later, the government introduced an alert system that placed restrictions on mobility, social gatherings and economic activity, and a nationwide "lockdown" was implemented from 25 March.

Chinese households were then forced to line up for groceries outside supermarkets with the rest of the population, before having to do the same once a vaccination program was rolled out in stages at the beginning of 2021.

At the same time, a survey led by Massey University senior lecturer Sally Liu in 2021 showed that Asian respondents in New Zealand were increasingly voicing concerns about discrimination due to anxiety surrounding the coronavirus.

Five years on from Ardern's 25 March announcement, three Chinese families look back at life during lockdown and consider how those times have shaped their future.

Bear essentials

Yalin Zou and his wife, Helen Wu, say they got through the lockdown thanks to a pair of animals: their 1-year-old Labrador named Mac and a seemingly endless procession of fluffy teddy bears.

The couple lived with their teenage son and Wu's senior parents in East Auckland during the lockdown.

Before the lockdown announcement, they would go to their manufacturing and import-export business office every day.

However, overseas orders dried up once the borders closed and the country went into lockdown.

Wu's parents caught up with news online and sang songs with friends on an app, while her son killed time studying online and playing video games with friends to relieve stress.

Instead, Zou and Wu would take their restless Labrador on walks through the neighbourhood, and it was here when they encountered what was becoming a nationwide phenomenon.

While families around the planet hunkered down as laughter dwindled and outdoor activities ceased, households in the neighbourhood started to decorate their windows with a variety of teddy bears.

Having proven popular overseas, the teddy bears were placed in the windows to give children something to look forward to on their neighbourhood walks during lockdown, channelling feelings of nostalgia and resilience.

Inspired by a Facebook page titled "We're Not Scared - NZ Bear Hunt" that sprung up because of the activity as well as the sights he encountered during his walks, Zou worked on a script during lockdown that documented the teddy bears sitting in windows in nearby neighbourhoods.

The former teacher of the renowned Beijing Film Academy discussed the screenplay with Wu, who recognised the film's historical and artistic value.

Together, they sketched out what it would take to co-produce an English NZ movie titled The Teddy Show, which is now online after three years of challenging work during and after Auckland's protracted lockdown.

The couple reduced their own living expenses to save money for production.

Other members of the Chinese community - friends and sponsors - also got behind them to provide financial support.

Once New Zealand ended most Covid-19 restrictions in 2022, Zou and Wu began work assembling acting staff and a crew.

"Ninety percent of the team are Chinese," Yalin says. "And all main crew members have film study background in New Zealand."

But first Zou needed some items to support the main cast: teddy bears.

"I visited almost all second-hand shops to look for teddy bears," Zou recalls.

Zou hadn't directed an English-language film before but didn't let that dampen his enthusiasm, admitting to knowing only a little English.

Similarly, his leading New Zealand cast - Mark Hadlow, who played the dwarf Dori in Hobbiton - didn't speak Chinese.

But language barriers did not stop Zou from telling his story.

Nor did the low budget, which required the couple to limit the team to 15-20 members.

Wu also wore various hats during production, including script translation, handling finances, costumes and props coordination, as well as handling the initial post-production and special effects editing.

"My eyesight worsened," she says. "I had to get new glasses."

The film premiered on 25 March in the Auckland suburb of Howick and has since been released online.

"It's a pleasure to be invited to premiere the movie an additional two times," Zou says.

The film will screen at Uxbridge Arts & Culture Hub on on 10 and 17 April in addition to being released on the Vimeo streaming platform, he says.

Essential workers

Titus Jiang, owner of a pharmacy in central Auckland, recalls wearing N95 face masks every day once the pandemic began.

Jiang's wife, Ye Ye, worked at a dental clinic in central Auckland, was covered from head to toe in personal protective equipment at her workplace every day.

"She wore a full set of protective gear, including N95 masks, glasses, protective suits and transparent face shields," Jiang says.

The couple had a little daughter waiting for them at home with Ye's mother.

The pharmacist and oral health therapist were categorised as "essential workers" during the nationwide lockdown in 2020.

Data from the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment in 2021 shows that more than 500,000 people were considered to be an essential worker during the lockdowns, with most involved in the provision of healthcare services, critical supply roles (supermarkets, agriculture, forestry, fishing) and manufacturing.

These workers were often at the frontline efforts to keep the country running at a time when most people were instructed to stay at home.

The pressure on such workers was immense as the government ordered distancing measures to be enforced and limited numbers within shop premises.

Jiang recalls a surge of customers coming in to demand cold medicine, masks, disinfectants or gloves.

Only one or two customers were allowed in at a time, with continuous queues outside.

His small team needed to process an endless series of walk-ins, phone calls and symptom-related inquiries.

"We were twice as busy as before Covid, while also facing infection risks," Jiang says, noting that lunch breaks became irregular.

Later, Jiang reduced his opening hours by an hour each day to give his exhausted staff some respite.

Ye, an oral health therapist, initially couldn't work due to restrictions.

Once the rules changed, however, she returned to work despite the risks.

"We're exposed to saliva and droplets," she recalls. "It was frightening, but it's part of the job."

Jiang's pharmacy repacked bulk supplies into smaller quantities to manage shortages, dividing masks into smaller boxes and bottling hand sanitiser into smaller containers so that everyone could receive some of the limited resources.

"All customers understood," he recalls. "There was a real sense of kindness and mutual support."

Face masks eventually run out of stock and Jiang recalls a time he learned that members of the Chinese community were receiving masks their friends in China sent them by post.

Later, commercial imports resumed as China's ramped-up production eased the shortage in market.

Jiang's pharmacy conducted Covid tests, with the first positive test causing him some consternation.

At the time, Auckland's strict lockdown restrictions required a negative test to leave the city.

The customer wanting the test waited in their car - the result came back positive in 15 minutes.

"I felt a chill," Jiang recalls. "There were no vaccines, and we knew so little about the virus. I was in full PPE [personal protective equipment], but it was still nerve-wracking."

Fortunately, he says, the customer didn't sneeze during the swab as many often did.

He recalls immediately isolating himself from his child, family and staff, and tested daily for a week.

"We finally felt safe after seven negative results," he recalls.

But it wasn't to last, as the family would eventually all catch the virus despite wearing N95 masks, even passing it on to their newborn "Covid baby".

New arrivals

Lily Zhang was just three days away from flying to New Zealand in 2020 when the country abruptly closed its borders at 11:59pm on 19 March.

"My entire plan was thrown into disarray," Zhang recalls.

She had already quit her job, withdrawn her son from school and was studying English at home in preparation to travel to New Zealand to complete a master's degree.

"My son returned to school but I couldn't resume work," Zhang recalls. "The border could have reopened at any time, and I had to be ready to leave.

"With my husband's support and some family savings, I stayed home, kept studying English and waited."

The uncertainty dragged on.

After several months, her South Island university allowed international students to begin a few online courses while the government was reviewing travel restrictions.

"We completed three general courses remotely from China," Zhang says. "But the border reopening remained unclear, and the programme was paused.

"It wasn't just anxiety, it felt like depression," she recalls.

"Every day, headlines were filled with global outbreak updates, and I had no hope of continuing my study plan."

It took more than two years for Zhang and her son to be granted entry on 1 August 2022 under the government's five-stage border reopening plan.

"We were among a limited group of travellers allowed to enter while the borders officially remained closed," she says.

Her husband remained in China for another year due to delays in immigration clearance.

Zhang and her son landed in New Zealand in Christchurch, working through the various Covid response measures in place at the time.

They needed to present online declarations, test themselves on arrival and report the results to a designated website.

"Mask-wearing was still mandatory," Zhang's son recalls.

Zhang resumed her studies and her son entered Year 10.

Several of her university Chinese classmates had to self-isolate after contracting COVID.

"It was especially hard for newly arrived international students," Zhang said. "Isolation with no medication - we had only our immune systems to rely on."

Zhang's son settled into school wearing face masks for a period.

He said he loved living in a single-story house rather than the apartment back home.

"School is easier here," he says. "The teachers are kind, and I've made friends. "Mum, this is what life should be. I love it here."

Meanwhile, Zhang worked hard to build a new home for them during and after the pandemic.

"Everything had to start from scratch - buying a car, uniforms, essentials, navigating life in English and finishing my university assignments," Zhang recalls. "I felt like an alien."

Although online shopping and delivery isn't as convenient as in China, Zhang has grown to love New Zealand.

"What touched me most was the kindness, warmth and support of the local people," she says. "[It's] something I'll never forget."

Zhang is currently studying for a graduate diploma in early childhood education, preparing to become a teacher.

Her husband has found a work in the car rental industry and their son continues to thrive at school.

"Thankfully, the worst is behind us," she says. "Although parts of the world remain unsettled, I hope peace will return and the world will find calm again."