New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern forced to call off her own wedding due to COVID concerns

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern had to call off her own wedding as she tightened COVID-19 restrictions due to a recent spike in cases.

“My wedding will not be going ahead,” she confirmed after outlining new restrictions; including a limit of 100 fully vaccinated people at events. “I just joined many other New Zealanders who have had an experience like that as a result of the pandemic and to anyone who is caught up in that scenario, I am so sorry.”

Ardern and her fiancée Clarke Gayford hadn’t announced their wedding date, but it was believed to be scheduled for some time in the next few weeks.

The detection of nine cases of Omicron in a family who travelled between cities to attend a wedding, and the infection of a flight attendant on one aircraft they flew on, forced New Zealand to impose its “red setting” restrictions from midnight Sunday.

In addition to limiting crowd numbers, face coverings are now mandatory on public transport and in shops. The new restrictions are set to remain in place until at least the end of February.

“Such is life,” Ardern said when asked about her thoughts on setting regulations which ended her own wedding. “I’m no different to thousands of other New Zealanders who have had much more devastating impacts felt by the pandemic, the most gutting of which is the inability to be with a loved one sometimes when they are gravely ill. That will far outstrip any sadness I experience.”

New Zealand has detected 15,104 Covid-19 cases and recorded 52 deaths since the pandemic began. Tough border restrictions and snap lockdowns have been in place for much of the last two years. New Zealand plans to open to vaccinated tourists on 30 April 2022 (New Zealand Tourism).