Covid 19 coronavirus: Health Minister David Clark says house move was done before lockdown

Health Minister David Clark completed a house move while the rest of the country was in lockdown, but insists he didn't breach the rules for a third time.

Clark was spotted moving to another property a few hundred metres apart from his previous home as lockdown loomed and has since been seen going between the two.

He said he had not broken any rules and had used his previous house as a work office while the country was under level 4 restrictions.

"I moved house, using the services of a moving company, on the Wednesday immediately before the level 4 lockdown began," he said in a statement tonight.

"My new house is just up the road from my old one.

"During lockdown I used my old house as my office and occasionally walked the odd item or box back with me, as is within the rules."

A spokesperson for the Prime Minister said based on what Clark had advised her he moved house prior to lockdown, and based on his description of events, he had not breached lockdown rules.

Earlier this month Clark was demoted and stripped of his Associate Finance portfolio after he admitted taking his family on a 40km round trip to the beach during lockdown and also going mountain biking on a trail.

Clark told the country he'd been an idiot after coming clean to Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern about his family beach trip.

Ardern said that under normal circumstances, Clarke would've been sacked for his behaviour.

Health Minister David Clark was seen repeatedly between two Dunedin properties during the month-long lockdown. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Ardern said: "Under normal conditions I would sack the Minister of Health. What he did was wrong, and there are no excuses.

"But right now, my priority is our collective fight against Covid-19. We cannot afford massive disruption in the health sector or to our response. For that reason, and that reason alone, Dr Clark will maintain his role.

"I expect better, and so does New Zealand."

Clark, who offered his resignation, told media that he felt "like a complete dick to be honest".

"At a time when we are asking New Zealanders to make historic sacrifices I've let the team down. I've been an idiot," Clark said in a statement earlier this month.

If this latest incident was considered to be against alert level 4 restrictions, it would be Clark's third breach in just over a month.