New Zealand’s Former COVID Response Minister Apologizes to Kiwi Journalist Barred From Entering Country

COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins speaks during a COVID-19 response update in Parliament in Wellington, New Zealand, on Nov. 24, 2021. Mark Mitchell/Pool/Getty Images

New Zealand’s former COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins has apologised to journalist Charlotte Bellis for incorrect comments made about her attempts to secure a MIQ (managed isolation and quarantine) spot during the height of lockdowns.

Bellis had tried to return to New Zealand after discovering she was pregnant in Qatar, where sex outside of marriage is illegal.