Chris Hipkins, the prime minister of New Zealand, revealed on Sunday that he had contracted Covid-19 and had tested positive for it at a crucial juncture in his sputtering reelection campaign.
Less than two weeks before the general election in his country, Hipkins announced on his official social media account that he would have to isolate for up to five days.
The center-left Labour Party leader claimed that he began to have cold symptoms on Saturday and that he had canceled the majority of his weekend plans.
“Bugger! After a rough night I woke up this morning feeling pretty unwell and just got this test result,” he said in an Instagram post, accompanied by a photograph of a rapid antigen test.
“I’m in close contact with New Zealanders on the campaign trail and I don’t want to pass it on to anyone, so I’ll be following the guidance and isolating for a few days or until I get a negative test.
“I’ll try to keep up as many campaign engagements remotely as I can.”
Hipkins took over as leader from Jacinda Ardern in January, and his defeat comes while Labour is trailing in the polls.
In a poll conducted last week, only 27% of respondents said they would support Labour, while 37% supported the Christopher Luxon-led National Party, which is center-right.
Polling results ahead of the election on October 14 indicate National is moving closer to forming a coalition government with smaller parties.
