NEW ZEALAND’S HEALTH MINISTER RESIGNS AFTER VIRUS BLUNDERS

WELLINGTON: New Zealand’s health minister resigned Thursday following a series of personal blunders during the coronavirus pandemic. David Clark had earlier described himself as an idiot for breaking the nation’s lockdown measures and then last week appeared to blame a beloved health official for border lapses, generating an angry response from the public. Announcing his resignation, Clark said he’d put all his energy into the job. But it has become increasingly clear to me that my continuation in the role is distracting from the government’s overall response to COVID-19,” he said. Clark said he intended to remain in the parliament as a lower-ranking lawmaker.