- Title: Hopping to it: Sweet Easter Bunny is quarantine ready this year
- Date: 9th April 2020
- Summary: TROYES, FRANCE (APRIL 8, 2020) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF MILK CHOCOLATE BUNNIES WITH MARZIPAN MASKS ON TRAY VARIOUS OF BAKER BENOIT HERBAUT APPLYING MASKS MADE OF MARZIPAN ON CHOCOLATE BUNNIES MASKED BUNNIES VARIOUS OF HERBAUT ADDING MASK STRAPS TO BUNNIES VARIOUS OF HERBAUT ADDING EYES TO BUNNIES HERBAUT COMING OUT OF KITCHEN WITH TRAY OF CHOCOLATE BUNNIES INTO THE SHOP VARIOUS OF HERBAUT PUTTING BUNNIES ON DISPLAY IN BAKERY SHELF STAFF IN BAKERY SERVING CUSTOMER IN MASK THESSALONIKI, GREECE (APRIL 6, 2020) (REUTERS) CHOCOLATE DOCTOR BUNNIES WEARING MASKS AND GLOVES VARIOUS OF BUNNY WITH MASK AND GLOVES BUNNY WEARING GLOVES BUNNY'S NEEDLE WHICH SYMBOLIZE VACCINES AND CORONAVIRUS CELLS MADE FROM CHOCOLATE AND ICING VARIOUS OF GREEK PASTRY CHEF MARIOS PAPADOPOULOS MAKING THE CHOCOLATE BUNNIES IN HIS CONFECTIONARY BERN, SWITZERLAND (RECENT - MARCH 25, 2020) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF BAKERY WORKER PUTTING MASK-SHAPED ICING ON CHOCOLATE EASTER BUNNY CHOCOLATE EASTER BUNNIES WITH MASKS WORKER PUTTING ICING ON MOLD VARIOUS OF WORKER DRAINING CHOCOLATE FROM MOLD/ BUNNIES IN FOREGROUND HEART-SHAPED ICING FOR BUNNIES NOSES ON TRAY WORKER PUTTING HEART-SHAPED NOSES ON BUNNIES MASKED BUNNY WITH RIBBON VARIOUS OF MASKED EASTER BUNNIES IN BAKERY PIRMASENS, GERMANY (APRIL 9, 2020) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF CHOCOLATE MAKER, RICHARD MUELLER, SUPERVISING PRODUCTION OF MASKED BUNNIES VARIOUS OF BUNNY WITH MASK AND CANDY TOILET ROLL BEING PLACED ON BUNNY VARIOUS OF BUNNIES WEARING MASKS WITH TOILET ROLLS ON SHELF VARIOUS OF SHOPPERS WEARING MASKS QUEUING AND SHOPPING EMPLOYEE PUTTING A GIANT BUNNY WITH SURGICAL MASK AND DRESSED AS A NURSE ON A SHELF BUNNY WEARING MASK LA HULPE, BELGIUM (APRIL 9, 2020) (REUTERS) PASTRY CHEF MICHAEL LEWIS-ANDERSON WORKING ON A CHOCOLATE CAKE, WRITING THE WORDS (English): "Home Stay" LEWIS-ANDERSON PREPARING A RENDITION OF THE CORONAVIRUS USING CHOCOLATE LEWIS-ANDERSON PREPARING CHOCOLATE CAKE DESIGNED AFTER THE FABLE 'THE TORTOISE AND THE HARE' LEWIS-ANDERSON FINALIZING THE FACE MASK OF A CHOCOLATE TORTOISE LEWIS-ANDERSON FINALIZING THE TONGUE OF A CHOCOLATE HARE CAKE REPRESENTING A HARE RUNNING A RACE AND A TORTOISE UNDER THE FINISHING LINE CORONAVIRUS RENDITION IN CHOCOLATE (SOUNDBITE) (English) BRITISH CAKE MAKER AND PASTRY CHEF, MICHAEL LEWIS-ANDERSON, SAYING: "Now, as you know, we're not allowed to go out now, we're in confinement and it's a little twist on the story to say that the rabbit is running through the field of the Easter eggs, which are like the coronavirus, and it's running away from it. Yet, the tortoise has won the race because she or he took the heed of how it should be: he stayed at home." CHOCOLATE HARE RUNNING / TORTOISE WITH FACE MASK CORONAVIRUS-SHAPED CHOCOLATE EGG CHOCOLATE TORTOISE WITH FACE MASK, CHOCOLATE GRAVE STONE, READING (English): "Home Stay Home", VOICE OF LEWIS-ANDERSON HEARD SAYING (English): "Don't be a rabbit, be a tortoise, stay at home"f
- Embargoed: 23rd April 2020 16:40
- Keywords: Easter bunny Jacinda Ardern New Zealand Prime Minister chocolate bunnies coronavirus masks
- Location: VARIOUS
- City: VARIOUS
- Country: Various
- Topics: Human-Led Quirky,Human-Led Stories
- Reuters ID: LVA003C8RULP5
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: The Easter bunny will be very pleased to know it's business as usual during the covid-19 pandemic, even if it means wearing a mask and gloves this year.
"You'll be pleased to know that we do consider both the Tooth Fairy and the Easter Bunny to be essential workers," New Zealand prime minister, Jacinda Ardern told reporters on Monday (April 6).
"But as you can imagine at this time they are going to be potentially quite busy at home with their family as well, and their own bunnies and so I say to the children of New Zealand, if the Easter Bunny doesn't make it to your household, then we have to understand that it's a bit difficult at the moment for the Bunny to perhaps get everywhere."
That did not stop the Bunny visiting ZSL London Zoo on lockdown.
Brightly coloured eggs decorated in animal-friendly paint were hidden around sand and rocks for meerkats Frank, Dracula, Archie, Penelope, Timon, Aurora and Meko to find and play with, as they took part in their annual Easter egg hunt this week.
The Bunny's chocolate replicas sold around the globe are also donning their very own protective gear.
From bunnies wearing surgical masks made of chocolate, almond paste or marzipan, and those also carrying toilet rolls in Germany, to Greek doctor bunnies with their very own needles and coronavirus cells made from chocolate and icing, chocolate makers are crafting a sweet treat in these uncertain times, but with a message of support to all health workers.
Belgian-based British cake maker Michael Lewis-Anderson has made a chocolate scene based on the fable of "The Tortoise and the Hare" by Aesop to remind people to stay at home.
Known in Belgium for having prepared cakes for the royal family, the Manchester-born pastry chef used chocolate eggs as a base to create a rendition of the novel coronavirus.
Lewis-Anderson said the cake, which he estimated to weight 30 kilos and to having required eight hours of work, would not go on sale but would instead be used to convey a message of care for the Belgian population on social media.
A message to the busy Bunny in the meantime: take care and stay safe!
(Production: Lisa Giles-Keddie) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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