New Zealand's director general of health to step down in July

New Zealand's Director General of Health Dr. Ashley Bloomfield, who led the country's health response to COVID-19, will step down at the end of July, the Public Service Commission said on Wednesday. New Zealand's swift response to the pandemic and its geographic isolation kept the country largely COVID-19 free until the end of last year, winning Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern strong support both locally and overseas.

New Zealand's Director General of Health Dr. Ashley Bloomfield, who led the country's health response to COVID-19, will step down at the end of July, the Public Service Commission said on Wednesday.

New Zealand's swift response to the pandemic and its geographic isolation kept the country largely COVID-19 free until the end of last year, winning Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern strong support both locally and overseas. Ardern said in a statement on Facebook that Bloomfield had been central to the country's COVID-19 response and had done it with humour and grace.

"In every sense of the word - through his tireless dedication, his focus on people, his calm and considered approach - he has been a true public servant," Arden said. The Commission's statement said Bloomfield's term was due to end June 11, 2023, but he had signalled he was going to quit at the end of last year.

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