Not even New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is exempt from her own coronavirus restrictions.
She and her partner Clarke Gayford were turned away from brunch at a cafe in Wellington Saturday –because it was at capacity under the country’s social distancing guidelines.
However, an employee ran after the couple a few minutes later when a table opened up, and they were able to be seated.
“The PM says she just waits like everyone else,” Ardern’s spokesperson told the public Television New Zealand.
Gayford, meanwhile, took the blame on himself for not making reservations.
“I have to take responsibility for this, I didn’t get organised and book anywhere,” Gayford wrote on Twitter. “Was very nice of them to chase us down st when a spot freed up. A+ service.”
The incident took place days after Ardern’s government relaxed many social distancing rules, reopening cafes, cinemas and malls after two months of putting in place some of the strictest restrictions in the world to stop the spread of the virus.
The nation of about 4.9 million has been lauded for containing the pandemic before its health system became overwhelmed. There were 1,149 confirmed COVID-19 cases as of Sunday and 21 deaths, according to data from the health ministry.
With Post wires
