New Zealand’s health minister David Clark resigned on Thursday following security breaches at Covid-19 quarantine facilities.
Just days after the island nation had declared itself virus-free, it was revealed that two travellers returning from Britain had been released early from quarantine on compassionate grounds. They both tested positive for the virus.
Clark had also previously been criticised for breaking the country’s lockdown rules by taking his family on outings to a beach and going mountain-biking.
In a statement, Clark said: ‘It has become increasingly clear to me that my continuation in the role is distracting from the government’s overall response to Covid-19 and the global pandemic.’
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said she agreed with Clark’s decision although she had previously ignored calls to fire him. Ardern has been lauded for her government’s handling of the epidemic.
Ardern and her Labour Party face a general election in September. Currently, the Labour Party governs in a coalition with the Greens and New Zealand First. However, Ardern and the Labour Party have seen their popularity soar since Ardern became prime minister in 2017, and she has been praised for the country’s Covid-19 response. Opinion polls say that the Labour Party has the support of about 50% of the electorate, with its closest rival, the National Party, at about 40%. In 2017, the National Party won 44% of the vote against Labour’s 37%.
New Zealand has had fewer than 2 000 confirmed cases of Covid-19 and there are currently only 18 cases in the South Pacific nation.