Podium of mistruth

Radio NZ reports:

He could well be hiding his face after today’s performance.

The 1pm Covid-19 media briefing today started ordinarily enough, setting out the government’s decision to move New Zealand to the orange setting from midnight tonight.

He tripped over the detail of what it would actually mean however, initially saying masks would no longer be required on public transport and flights.

“It won’t be as widespread as it has been up till now.”

But that would amount to a drastic shift and a softening of what is now the main line of defence – apart from vaccines – against the virus. Pulled up on this by reporters, he quickly changed his tune and sought clarification from his smartphone.

“I just didn’t bring the list, it was several weeks ago we made that decision around masks, so let me just double check I’m getting it absolutely correct for you.”

He says he “just had a mind blank” over which places the masks were still required, and apologised.

“That was my mistake. I did not refresh my memory sufficiently about mask requirements at orange before I came down here. I apologise for that. That was my mistake, the guidance is very clear. Yes I should have been familiar with that guidance before I came to do this, I will accept responsibility for the fact that I did not do that. There’s been quite a lot going on.”

He announced to an entire country that masks were no longer needed on public transport and flights, and he was wrong. This is not a minor detail.

Questioned over the logic on keeping masks for retail but not hospitality, he said there were “going to be a lot more people in a supermarket on a weekly basis than they’ll be out and about pashing on a dancefloor”.

It’s a crazy distinction. In a supermarket you have very little interaction with others, and lots of space. In a bar or nightclub you are pressed in tightly, and constantly interacting with others.

This is just another blow to retailers.