Covid-19: One rule for us, one for the Prime Minister?

Today the rest of the countrywoke upto level 1.

Aucklanders, not so much.

Our level 2.5 restrictions are to remain in place until tomorrow night, whenwemoveto level 2.

Amove to level 2willmean Aucklanders can mingle in bigger crowds.

But will that include easing restrictions on social distancing?

Because here’s the thing, the Primeminister herself doesn’tseem to want to abide by that rule.

Her large group selfieon the streets of Palmerston North the other day, crowded in a bunch of not at all socially distant fans, smacked of hypocrisy.

Onerule for us, and, it seems, one rule for her.

Act’s David Seymour said, “while hospitality businesses were going broke at alert level 2 because of single server and social distancing rules, the person responsible for the ruleswasself serving and breaking them”.

The response from her office? Basically that she’s just so popular, it’s impossible to keep peopleaway from her.

“There are anumberof handshakes and hugs she unfortunately has to decline, but oftenmembersof the public will comevery close to the Prime Minister which is difficult to control,” her office said.

Is it? Surely that’s the singular most important job of her security detail right now, during, as she keeps reminding us, “a serious global pandemic“.

Actually, not even in a pandemic but just in crowds generally, is it not her very large entourage’s job to keep people at bay andawayfrom getting too close to her?

It just doesn’t washwith what she’s expecting of others.

Mylocal cafe´ was popular, too. Itwashard forthem to keep crowdsdownto the required minimumto meet level restrictions, butupuntil they closeddownlast week, they did do that.

Because they had to.

Because those were the rules. Even if it sentthemunder.

Sowhyis the Prime Minister not subject to the samestandards? If it’s okay to relax the rules for her, then whyarewestill in Level 2? Whydo the rules exist? Whyare businesses suffering from the restrictions, if they’re not taken seriously from the top?

Thepm’s office said “it’s not always possible” for people to practice social distancing.

Well, it’s not always possible to stay in businesswhenyou have to follow strict Covid rules, too, but those are the rules.

Whyhave rules, if the person making them doesn’t even take them seriously?