New Zealand health minister resigns over coronavirus criticism

New Zealand Health Minister David Clark has resigned after criticism of the government's response to coronavirus and his own breaches of lockdown rules.

David Clark was also under fire for personally breaching strict lockdown rules twice earlier in the year, by taking his family on a beach trip and driving to a mountain biking track.

“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,” Clark said at a news conference in Wellington.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern confirmed on Thursday that she had accepted his resignation.

New Zealand has been hailed as a success story when it comes to tackling the coronavirus.

The country has recorded 1,528 confirmed or probable coronavirus cases and 22 people have died. Last month, all Covid-19 restrictions were lifted and the nation was declared virus free.

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