Ardern said today she had seen the news footage that had gone viral last week of Dr Clark's comments, in which he pointed the finger of blame at Bloomfield for the failings in the management of Covid cases at the New Zealand border - as a crestfallen Bloomfield stood alongside.
She said Bloomfield and other health workers had worked exceptionally hard in the past few months and needed respite - but that there was also more to Dr Clark's media interview.
Ardern's comments come as the number of worldwide Covid cases has passed a grim new milestone - 10 million people have now suffered the virus, with 500,000 deaths.
And New Zealand has bounced back up to 20 active cases as a result of people returning from overseas - all of the cases are in quarantine, including one in hospital.
Speaking about quarantine bungles at a media stand-up last week, Clark said: "The director-general has accepted that the protocol wasn't being followed. He has accepted responsibility for that and has set about putting it right."
In the background, Bloomfield looks down briefly, appearing dejected at the comment. It has been variously described by commentators and viewers as brutal and cruel.
On Newstalk ZB today, Ardern was specifically asked by host Mike Hosking about David Clark's comments last week.
Hosking: "Did you look at the pictures last week of Ashley Bloomfield when your Minister of Heath threw him under the bus so publicly?"
Ardern: "I did. I did see that interview but I also know the full transcript of what happened in the interview and the elements that weren't included. That included Dr Clark talking about what an exceptional public servant Ashley was."
Hosking: "What did you see in Ashley's face?"
Ardern: "Well, the same that I've seen across people who are working in health generally. A group of people who have worked exceptionally hard across a number of months and we do have to give some respite to. They have been working incredibly hard. We have been criticised for not directly blaming any individual person because this is a failure of our system and we have taken collective responsibility for that."
Hosking: "Did he deserve what we got?"
Ardern: "What Dr Clark said was no different to what Dr Bloomfield said only 48 hours before. No one here is placing blame at any individual's foot for something that was a systems failure and that we are all working really well collectively together to resolve."
Hosking: "You don't think it was galling that the most inept minister going was the one handing out the criticism?"
Ardern: "Again, you'll see that I have kind of disputed the framing that you have put around this whole thing, Mike. None of us are placing blame on individuals here because that wouldn't be right. We have had a system failure and we have worked hard to fix it. The report yesterday shows the efforts being made. Both Dr Bloomfield and Dr Clark have worked together exceptionally well. I have sat in meetings with these individuals frequently. I know the collaborative, collegial working relationship they have. Those individuals are part of a bigger team who have managed to get New Zealand into an uneviable position. We are doing better than most of the world right now, and it is because in no small part to their work they are doing alongside New Zealanders."
Ardern's comments come after the report revealed weaknesses in the New Zealand isolation system.
