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New Zealand Police releases hilarious coronavirus series

Played for COVD19 laughs: Karen O'Leary and actor Mike Minogue.

Played for COVD19 laughs: Karen O'Leary and actor Mike Minogue. Photo: Wellington Paranormal

As Australia’s police come under fire for being heavy handed with social distancing fines, their counterparts in New Zealand are being lauded for using song and humour.

New Zealand Police has teamed with production company Wellington Paranormal to create a series of light-hearted videos addressing the importance of locking down properly.

In the most recent instalment, the “acclaimed world hit Two Metres Please” is performed by Officer O’Leary, played by actor Karen O’Leary.

“Two metres please, two metres please, I don’t want to breathe your Covid, if you start to wheeze,” she sings.

The post alongside the video reads: “The two-metre song (it’s gone err, viral) now released as a single. Sing it all day, and tomorrow, and the next day …”

The song makes up one part of a 10-episode series covering having fun at home during isolation and misconceptions around the virus.

Deputy chief executive of NZ Police’s media and communications Jane Archibald said: “We have a powerful social media following and it’s essential we use it to maximum effect during this challenging period.

“People have come to expect just a little humour from us. It’s part of our brand, so we wanted to engage with New Zealanders on our social platforms in a campaign-style they are used to.

“So we’ve teamed up with Wellington Paranormal to share police and community messages, which we hope will reach everyone in the community so they understand they need to be doing the right thing around self-isolation, and not put themselves in a position where they could ‘pass it on’.”

It is not the first time NZ Police has used humour to convey important social messages.

Wellington Paranormal has previously worked with the police on a 2018 recruitment video, and a series of road safety videos.

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