When the World stopped turning Lockdowns across the Planet AP Photo/Mark Lennihan Phil Walter/Getty Images New York City fell quiet. Rome’s Spanish Steps were empty. Most of the world - including New Zealand - went into lockdown. The only way to stop the virus spreading was to eliminate opportunities for it to pass between people. That meant perspex screens at shopping counters, social distancing on buses and trains and, at its most extreme, orders for people to stay at home. China was the first to move. By the end of January, before restrictive measures were introduced around the world, the country closed all its schools and non-essential workplaces, cancelled public events, placed restrictions on gatherings, halted public transport, and restricted regional travel. Mass masking was also required.