'We shouldn't have been commenting on individual cases': Boss of Covid-19 Facebook page admits mistake over KFC worker post

The Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet was responsible for the offending Facebook post. Photo / 123rf

The boss of the Covid-19 Facebook page admits they shouldn't have commented on the KFC worker's case and contradicted official health advice.

The post defended Case L's actions after attacks saying she shouldn't have gone to work at the Botany branch of the fast food chain and was instead meant to be isolating.

It led to accusations of the Government having mixed messages about what contacts of Papatoetoe High School students and staff were expected to do.

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Case L was the sibling of a casual-plus contact at the high school and later tested positive after she worked a shift at KFC and another sibling worked two shifts at KFC Botany.

The Facebook post which caused confusion about the public health advice. Photo / Supplied

Deputy chief executive of the Covid-19 Response Group, Cheryl Barnes, told a select committee this afternoon "we should not have commented on an individual case".

National MP Chris Bishop asked about who was responsible for the post at the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet's annual review at the Governance and Administration Select Committee.

Barnes said the responsibility sits with her team, which is dedicated to providing public information and communication but she sets the protocols and expectations.

"In light of that post I have reviewed and reset those protocols and principles."

Barnes said she or her team have not apologised to Case L or her family.

Staff use public health messaging from the Ministry of Health or information about isolation and quarantine from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment to write posts and respond to comments from the public.

Bishop asked whether the social media posts could be considered "public health advice".

"I would describe it as public health information," said Barnes.

The same team was responsible for the August Facebook post that asked all South and West Aucklanders to get a coronavirus test, which caused panic and a surge in demand at testing sites.

At the time Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said she was "angry" about the post and called it "over-simplified".

Bishop asked Barnes what the team learned from that post.

"This whole year has been one of learning continuously as we go and taking lessons out of each point in the process and why things don't go as we would expect. We learned from that."

The post about the KFC worker led to Ardern saying she was "frustrated" people weren't following the rules.

But the student said she was not told to isolate and found the Prime Minister's comments "upsetting".

"It's not fair on our end that we're getting all this backlash for something that we haven't actually done," Case L told Newshub.