Covid 19 coronavirus: Dynamic duo to split - Ardern and Bloomfield briefings to end

There are no new cases of Covid-19 in New Zealand today. Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield will tonight be leading the New Zealand delegation at a World Health Organisation meeting

As thousands of New Zealanders return to work and school this week, one part of their daily routine will change once again: their afternoon date with Jacinda Ardern and Dr Ashley Bloomfield.

The Prime Minister and director general of health have taken the stage together at 1pm briefings most weekdays for nearly two months.

Broadcast live on the NZ Herald website, Newstalk ZB and other media, the daily briefings have been central to the Government's communication with the media and Kiwis.

But their days of joint daily updates are to end, with the duo's briefings in their last week.

Come next Monday, the Prime Minister will hold her weekly post-Cabinet press conference every Monday and speak to media on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 1.30pm.

Bloomfield, meanwhile, will take to the stage solo to provide a daily update on the country's Covid-19 cases.

He will update media at 1pm from Monday through Thursday and answer questions.

Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield alone will update the country on the latest Covid-19 cases. Photo / Mark Mitchell

On Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, the Ministry of Health will release updates on the number of new coronavirus cases for those days.

The briefings, which began in mid-March were reduced from daily to weekday events in early May, as Bloomfield took a Saturday off.

Draper Cormack Group managing partner David Cormack - a specialist in communications and government relations - earlier told the Herald the briefings formed a key part of the communications strategy around Covid-19.

TO READ THE HERALD'S FULL CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE CLICK HERE

Originally, the plan was to have Ardern speak on Sunday through to Thursday, for Robertson to take Fridays and to have no press conference on Saturdays, he said.

While the Government was in "uncharted territory" as the pandemic took hold, Cormack said that the Government had the "most trustworthy and empathetic MPs" in Ardern and Robertson.

The duo, combined with Bloomfield, "give certainty at a time when people are craving certainty".

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and director general of health Dr Ashley Bloomfield's joint Covid-19 briefings will cease this week. Photo / File

No new cases of coronavirus were announced today, as the total number of confirmed and probable cases remains at 1499.

There are 47 active cases of the virus nationally.

Two people are in hospital, one in Auckland and one in Middlemore, but neither are in intensive care.

• Covid19.govt.nz: The Government's official Covid-19 advisory website

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