New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern turned down by restaurant as it was full; fiance takes onus

While most world leaders send their staffers to make arrangements for them before they visit any public place, it seems New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has distanced herself from this unwritten rule. As per reports, Jacinda Ardern on Saturday was turned away by a restaurant due to a lack of seating space, and the recently imposed social distancing rules by her government. Ardern was reportedly visiting the cafe with her partner Clarke Gayford and a couple of other friends but was rejected by the restaurant in Wellington because they had spaced out and reached their customer limit. 

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A Twitter user named Joey, who was witness to the incident took to his Twitter handle where he wrote, "Omg Jacinda Ardern just tried to come into Olive and was rejected cause it’s full." Ardern's fiance Clarke Gayford was quick to notice the tweet taking the entire blame for the happening on himself. Gayford responded, "I have to take responsibility for this, I didn’t get organised and book anywhere. Was very nice of them to chase us down street when a spot freed up. A+ service." One of the restaurant staff immediately rushed to call back Ardern and her friends after a customer was done eating.  

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New Zealand went into lockdown on March 25 shutting down all non-essential businesses. The country had sealed its border on March 15, 10 days prior to announcing lockdown. New Zealand government on Thursday offered some relaxations in coronavirus restrictions allowing restaurants and cafes to reopen with social distancing rules. As per reports, the rules require restaurants to maintain distance between tables, while customers are not allowed to leave their seats unnecessary. 

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Coronavirus in New Zealand

According to figures by worldometer website, New Zealand has recorded less than 1,500 confirmed coronavirus cases and 21 deaths so far. There are currently 45 active cases in the country with no patient under critical condition, with Jacinda Ardern coming in the way of significant praise for her handling of the pandemic. Meanwhile, the global tally stands at over 4.71 million infections and more than 3,13,000 deaths, with the United States being the worst affected country. 

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