Everyone’s Even More In Love With Jacinda Ardern After Her COVID-19 Livestream
"Excuse the casual attire."
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has once again proved why she’s everyone’s favourite world leader by jumping on a Facebook livestream from her couch to directly answer people’s coronavirus questions.
“Excuse the casual attire, it can be a messy business putting toddlers to bed so I’m not in my work clothes,” she said.
During the 16-minute stream she took questions on everything from whether it’s ok to take dogs for a walk, through to wage subsidies, rental evictions and border restrictions.
Yet again @jacindaardern 100% nailing it for authentic leadership. https://t.co/35ItXqVHP5
— Annie Parker (@annie_parker) March 25, 2020
She also made time to provide basic health advice, and encouraged New Zealanders to adhere to strict self-isolation rules that have been enforced.
“If you act as though you already have COVID-19, think about it that way, then you’ll work as hard as you can to limit your contact with others as much as possible,” she said.
“That’s a really good way I think to start thinking about these things.”
I just watched Jacinda Ardern telling her people what we had hoped that our govt would have told us.
From her home.
In a tracksuit
In plain English with no contradictions.
She answered people's online questions immediately
LETS ALL PRETEND SHES OUR PM AND JUST DO WHAT SHE SAYS— 💧pru (@prudinx) March 25, 2020
Happy to rename Australia as West New Zealand whilst she has the job.
— Studiologistic (@stuart_delaney) March 25, 2020
Currently New Zealand has more than 200 cases. This week the government announced they would move to alert level 4 which has seen schools and non-essential services close, and the country go into lockdown.
Ms Ardern also said she wanted to prepare people for the number of cases to potentially rise into the thousands, due to the lag in how long it took for someone to contract the virus, become symptomatic, and get tested.
“We won’t see the positive benefits of all of the effort you’re all about to put in for self-isolation for a few days yet … I’d say at least 10 days,” she said.
“Don’t be disheartened. Our numbers are going to go up and the modelling I’ve seen suggested they will go up quite considerably.
“Because of that lag, all of that efforts that we’re putting in should eventually show, if we all follow the rules.”
No thanks
— Stu Dale (@stujdale) March 25, 2020
One question was raised about the rights of New Zealanders living in Australia.
“If you are a New Zealander employed in an Australian business who’s eligible for support, then you’re not excluded from that support being passed on to you,” she said.
“However if you’re in need of social services or direct government support that’s an area where we’ve had concern, that that isn’t being made available to New Zealanders. It’s a point that I’ve raised with Prime Minister Scott Morrison and so did the deputy prime minister, so we will keep raising that issue.”
The crucial message from the video was for people to stay home, unless you work in an essential industry like healthcare, police, banks and supermarkets.
“Remember stay at home, break the chain and you’ll save lives. It’s as simple as that.”