Wrapped in plastic, no picnic for Hungarian teddy bears asleep in pandemic

Valeria Schmidt, nicknamed as "Teddy Bear Mama", hugs a teddy bear in Harsany, Hungary, January 11, 2021. REUTERS/Bernadett Szabo

HARSANY, Hungary (Reuters) - In a small village in eastern Hungary, more than 20,000 teddy bears are "hibernating" in a warehouse, waiting for the coronavirus pandemic to ease so they can bring joy to children in local nurseries.

Nicknamed "Teddy Bear Mama", Valeria Schmidt looks after her precious collection of bears, now packed up in plastic bags for their unusually long winter sleep as Hungary remains in partial lockdown due to a resurgence of the virus.