The man most responsible for New Zealand's world-leading COVID-19 response is stepping down.
Ashley Bloomfield will leave his role as the Director General for Health in July, a year short of finishing his five-year term.
"The pandemic is something you carry with you 24-7 even when you're on holidays," he said, citing burnout and a desire for an "extended break" with family.
The 55-year-old became a much-loved and widely respected figure during the pandemic for his unflappable no-nonsense briefing style.
He appeared alongside Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern at regular 1pm press conferences, which came to be a staple of lockdown life and helped Kiwis understand the virus.
Ms Ardern posted a tribute on Instagram on Wednesday morning, saying Dr Bloomfield had "been central to our COVID success as a nation".
"In every sense of the word, through his tireless dedication, his focus on people, his calm and considered approach, he has been a true public servant," she said.
Alongside Ms Ardern, Dr Bloomfield drove New Zealand's elimination strategy as borders closed to allow Kiwis to live without COVID-19 for many months of the past two years.
He also engineered NZ's vaccination rollout, which started well after many other developed countries but reached vaccination rates of more than 95 per cent of people aged 12 and over.
Like many public health officials, Dr Bloomfield became a celebrity figure.
Kiwis created all sorts of tributes to the Wellingtonian, weaving his likeness into tea-towels and painting his face in artworks, even writing songs.
Dr Bloomfield said he was taken aback by the "huge number of messages of gratitude and support" he received.
"I still find it a surprise walking down the street that people recognise me. Perhaps that will change when I'm not up in places like this," he said.
He was a hit among Maori for his incorporation of te reo, the Maori language, in briefings, with Dr Bloomfield saying he would be "thrilled" if he was considered a champion of the language.
"I saw it was my role to use and normalise the use of what is a taonga (treasure) for our whole country," he said.
Conversely, Dr Bloomfield has been targeted by individuals on the radical anti-vax fringe for his role providing public health advice for lockdowns and vaccine mandates.
He downplayed the impact of online abuse, saying female contemporaries had it much worse.
"The nature of the feedback is nothing compared with what a number of my colleagues who happen to be female get," he said.
"The fact it's so gendered is something we absolutely need to do something about."
Accepting his resignation, public service commissioner Peter Hughes said Dr Bloomfield had "worked tirelessly".
"(He) has demonstrated remarkable resilience and courage in leading the health system's overall response to COVID-19. That response has saved lives," he said.
New Zealand is currently enduring its worst outbreak of the pandemic, though public health experts and modellers believe the peak has passed.
The country's death toll stands at 428, with more than 300 of those occurring in March.
