Visiting beach during lock-down proves costly for NZ Health Minister

 Contrary to India where people and their elected representatives take pride in breaking rules, violating lockdown and throwing social distancing to winds and even belittling the Prime Minister for his novel 'schemes' to uphold people's morale in this fight against the COVID-19, in New Zealand, the Health Minister of that country had to pay a heavy price for breaking lockdown rules.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said she would have sacked her minister for the lockdown abuse, but she needs him to help fight the COVID-19 pandemic threatening the country.

 

Health Minister Clark who called himself an ‘idiot’ drove his family members to a 20-km beach on the first weekend breaking the lockdown in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.

When all New Zealanders were told to remain indoors the Health Minister was seen going on a mountain bike ride last week. He later apologized for the incident.

Now he drove his family to 20 km to the Doctor’s Point beach on the first weekend of lockdown for which he was ‘demoted’ by the New Zealand Prime Minister.

Clark said the beach trip during level 4 lockdown was a clear breach, and he had offered his resignation to Ardern – who had not accepted it.

“At a time when we are asking New Zealanders to make historic sacrifices I’ve let the team down. I’ve been an idiot, and I understand why people will be angry with me,” Clark said in a statement.

The country’s Prime Minister stripped him of his associate finance minister responsibility and demoted him to the bottom of the cabinet rankings.

Political commentators say it is likely Clark will lose the health portfolio when the coronavirus crisis is resolved and criticized him for failing to show his face regularly or taking on more of a leadership role, leaving that job to Dr. Ashley Bloomfield, the director-general of health.

Meanwhile, in Scotland, Dr. Catherine Calderwood, the country's chief medical officer, resigned on Sunday after being photographed strolling on a golf course with her family and visiting her holiday home more than an hour's drive from her main residency in Edinburgh.