Appearing on Seven Sharp this evening, Jacinda Ardern firmly shut down Hilary Barry’s request to recreate her Covid-19 elimination dance.
It comes as earlier today the Prime Minister revealed to journalists and the world that she did a celebratory dance with her daughter when she found out New Zealand now has no active Covid-19 cases.
"I did a little dance. I showed Neve. She was caught a little by surprise but she joined in - having absolutely no idea why I was dancing around the lounge but enjoying it nonetheless," Ms Ardern said during today's press conference.
However, despite the Seven Sharp host's best efforts, the PM declined to recreate the joyous moment on prime time TV.
"No. The answer is no, Hilary," Ms Ardern told Barry.
The exciting news was revealed by Ms Ardern at a press conference this afternoon.
"Just a teeny-tiny re-enactment, I’m begging you," the Seven Sharp co-host pressed.
"I don’t think it brings dignity to the office of Prime Minister. As a thank you to the nation instead, Hilary, I’d like you to wear the tiara on Friday," Ms Ardern shot back, referencing Barry's "formal Friday" social media posts during the lockdown and her penchant for wearing a tiara.
The entertaining exchange comes as New Zealand prepares to move to Alert Level 1 from midnight tonight, essentially returning the country to business as usual except for continued border restrictions.
Ms Ardern did warn that we have likely not seen the end of Covid-19, however.
"We must remain mindful of the global situation, the harsh reality that the virus will be in our world for some time to come," Ms Ardern said.
The Prime Minister says her daughter Neve also joined in.
"We are confident we have eliminated transmission of the virus in New Zealand for now, but elimination is not a point in time - it is a sustained effort.
"We almost certainly will see cases here again, and I do want to say that again - we will almost certainly see cases here again. That is not a sign that we have failed, it is a reality of this virus."
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