A year like no other - HOW 2020 CHANGED US

AS PANDEMIC PANIC HITS, WE DEAL WITH LOCKDOWNS AND LOSSES

It was the year the world shifted on its axis. As Kiwis welcomed in 2020, many of us couldn’t help but watch in sadness as bushfires raged across Australia, devastating homes, lives, communities and wildlife.

The heartbreak for our closest neighbour was undeniable, but little did we know a disaster of even greater proportions was almost at our doorstep: COVID-19. By March, what had started out as a mystery ’flu outbreak in Wuhan, China, had expanded into a pandemic that touched every corner of the globe, including here in Aotearoa.

Phrases such as “social distancing”, “essential workers” and “designated supermarket shopper” were suddenly tripping off our tongues.

Many lost jobs, suffered from anxiety and fretted about what the future might hold.

Now, despite one lockdown for the entire country and a second one for the Auckland region, the pandemic still looms large in our lives, but there’s hope.

In the past few weeks, it has been announced that several vaccines are already in production, bringing with them the possibility of a light at the end of the tunnel.

Following is our round-up of the year that most of us would rather forget. Of course, coronavirus wasn’t the only thing to happen in 2020, but there’s little doubt it was the main event!

FEBRUARY 28