While some politicians around the world are being praised for their quick response to the COVID-19 crisis, others have been found to breach the very rules they helped established.
British Health Secretary in Question
British health secretary Matt Hancock has been put in the hot seat following reports that MPs broke a 10 pm COVID-19 drinking curfew.
House of Commons bosses have also been accused of covering-up the event, but the microscope has been laid specifically on Hancock as officials appeared to have failed to ask whether he was involved in the breach of anti-coronavirus rules.
During the probe into the incident, Hancock has reportedly refused 30 times to answer the question of whether he was at the Commons Smoking Room before a vote at 9:40 pm last week.
Senior Tory MP Charles Walker, who led the investigation, said amid mounting suspicions about Hancock's potential involvement that it would have been "invidious" to interrogate staff members of the House of Commons bar to drop the names of MPs who had been drinking last week well-past the 10 pm curfew.
Former Labor MP John Mann said the matter "does smack of a cover-up." He added that Parliament has a "duty to respect the rules we lay down for everyone in the country."
Hancock has since released a statement on the issue, insisting that "no rules have been broken." He did admit that he was at the Smoking Room at the night of the incident.
The question that has yet to be answered is whether Hancock returned to the Commons bar before he went home that night.
The 12th hardest-hit in the world, the United Kingdom has logged over 708,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases and over 43,000 lives lost to the novel coronavirus.
New Zealand Health Minister Demoted
In April, New Zealand's health minister Dr. David Clark admitted to driving his family to the Doctor's Point beach around 20km from his home in Dunedin. He offered to resign from his post but prime minister Jacinda Ardern rejected it.
Instead, Clark was demoted from being the associate finance minister in the Cabinet and was demoted to the lowest level in the rankings.
Clark has since apologized for his actions, referring to himself as an "idiot" for the move just days after the country was put on lockdown.
When reports about Clark's family beach escapade emerged, commentators said he is likely to lose his position as health minister in the long run as he also has reportedly not shown enough leadership during the COVID-19 crisis.
Since New Zealand reported its first confirmed coronavirus case in late February, the country has logged over 1,800 infections and at least 25 fatalities.
Austrian President Breaks Restaurant Curfew
Late in May, Austrian president Alexander Van der Bellen was caught by police at a restaurant after the 11 pm curfew that was implemented by the government.
At that time, Van der Bellen was with his wife and local police testified that the couple still had drinks at their table even after midnight, and after the restaurant officially shut down after the cut-off time.
In a statement posted on Twitter, Van der Bellen explained that it was the first time since the Austrian lockdown that he went out to eat with his wife and two friends. He also apologized for "overlooking" the time.
"If the restaurant host suffers any damage from this, I will take responsibility for it," Van der Bellen said.
Austria has reported over 62,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases and at least 889 deaths.
Peru Mayor Plays Dead after Breaking Curfew Rules
In what could be the most shocking political scandal that emerged since the pandemic started, mayor of Peruvian small town Tantara, Jaime Rolando Urbina Torres, jumped into a coffin when local police came to arrest him.
Torres was drunk, police officers revealed, and he pretended to be dead when the police arrived. Torres was arrested for breaking Peru's nationwide curfew and social distancing regulations.
Before news of Torres' "play-dead" scheme emerged, he had been accused by locals of failing to show leadership during a critical time for the southern town of Tantara.
Torres reportedly failed to implement strict border controls and provide adequate health safety facilities for people who experience COVID-19 symptoms.
Since the pandemic started, Peru has logged over 865,000 confirmed coronavirus cases and over 33,000 deaths linked to the disease. It is among the top 10 hardest-hit countries in the world.
