New Zealand health minister resigns despite country’s near-elimination of coronavirus

If U.S. medical leaders were held to this standard, they would’ve been out of a job in February.

New Zealand health minister Dr. David Clark resigned Thursday, more than a week after the government released hundreds of people from quarantine who had not been tested for coronavirus, news outlet The Spinoff reported.

Clark also faced scandals earlier this year after he broke lockdown twice for personal reasons.

New Zealand’s coronavirus response has been among the best in the world, as the island country has combined strict immigration and travel policies with quick lockdown procedures. By mid-June, the government allowed people to attend sporting events and concerts again.

Despite being the figurehead of that response, Clark fell victim to an old political pitfall: saying something dumb on camera.

At a press conference last week, Clark threw lower-ranking health official Dr. Ashley Bloomfield under the bus for the quarantine release fiasco while Bloomfield was standing right behind him. New Zealand media outlet Newshub caught Bloomfield’s reaction on camera.

New Zealand has strictly enforced its nationwide quarantine, which earlier allowed the country to return to pre-pandemic social norms. Allowing hundreds of people to roam untested became a massive scandal after two women tested positive for the virus, according to Newshub.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern accepted Clark’s resignation.

“I have given it my all but it has become increasingly clear to me that my continuation in the role is distracting,” Clark said at a Thursday press conference, according to 1News.

Clark first tried to resign back in April after admitting that he broke lockdown rules twice, once to go mountain biking and once to go to the beach with his family. At the time, Ardern rejected his resignation but lowered his standing in her cabinet.

While he has stepped aside as health minister, Clark is still a member of New Zealand’s parliament and plans to run for reelection.