As New Zealanders around the motu get used to the first nationwide day of the red traffic light setting, some famous Kiwis are airing their feelings about the Government's Omicron plan online.
Radio host Jay Jay Feeney, musician Hollie Smith, filmmaker David Farrier and comedian Guy Williams are just some of the well-known names speaking up about the situation, with some cracking wise while others vent their frustration and disappointment.
Having just celebrated being able to play her first gig with her band since March 2021 over the weekend, Hollie Smith wrote simply: "I am f**king done".
"Oh and anyone who wants to diss on Jacinda at the moment can f**k off my timeline," she added in a follow-up tweet. "She just cancelled her own wedding. Instead she will just continue listening to abuse and death threats. FUN."
Later, Smith joked: "Does red light mean [Brian] Tamaki stays in jail longer? Asking for a friend."
Meanwhile, More FM host Jay-Jay Feeney questioned the Government's response, asking: "So, we are slowing Omicron by just punishing concert promoters and pub owners? Everything else is normal?"
Feeney added she felt that Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern was just "delaying the inevitable".
Fellow radio host Clint Roberts from ZM tweeted: "F**ck COVID honest to the God who abandoned us in 2019."
Filmmaker David Farrier took a different approach, telling his followers: "My gentle take on the best way to deal with COVID hasn’t really changed: Basically don’t be an asshole: wear a mask, space yourself out a little, dine outdoors, show your vaccination status happily, be kind to service industry workers, make life less about *you* for a bit."
New Zealand Today host Guy Williams looked to lighten the mood, tweeting about panic buyers: "If you hoard all the toilet paper and there's none for me, I will come to your house to use the bathroom I promise you that."
Later he added: "YOU FOOL! You should have got a haircut when you had the chance," with the caveat: "For the record, you probably can still get a haircut under Red/Omicron, it just feels a lot more risky/silly. I assume people don't come to me for COVID news but shit nothing surprises me anymore."
American singer-songwriter Amanda Palmer, who is now based in New Zealand, thanked her fans for the "concerned messages" about Omicron making its way into the community.
"I feel for my touring musician friends. my one upcoming show (Splore festival) will likely be canceled imminently. We got this."
Splore has since been cancelled for the first time in the festival's history, along with a slew of other live events, due to the red setting's restrictions on gatherings of over 100 people.
Country singer Tami Neilson said she was "sending love" to the NZ music community.
"[We] lose all our shows again, after daring to get our hopes up," she wrote.
