Royal Commission Reviews New Zealand’s Covid Response
A royal commission investigating New Zealand’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic has concluded that the country’s approach was among the best globally, while also recognising that the period left enduring "scars" on society.
The second report from the two-part inquiry was published on Tuesday, focusing on the timeframe from February 2021 to October 2022. This period marked a shift in government strategy from elimination of the virus to suppression and minimisation. The report also examined vaccine safety, the immunisation programme, lockdown measures, and the use of tracing and testing technologies.
The royal commission, which operated during the pandemic, assessed the government’s actions amid the evolving crisis.
Covid Impact and Public Response
Since 2020, New Zealand has recorded 5,641 deaths attributed to Covid-19. The country’s stringent measures—including lockdowns, vaccine mandates, and border quarantine protocols—contributed to controlling the virus spread. However, as the pandemic progressed, some public dissatisfaction emerged regarding the restrictions. A small but vocal minority opposed vaccines and mandates, culminating in protests and social tensions.
The initial report, released in late 2024, highlighted New Zealand’s low Covid death rate per capita compared to other developed nations. It largely endorsed vaccine mandates while acknowledging the distress and economic difficulties they caused for some citizens.
Findings of the Latest Report
The report released on Tuesday affirmed that New Zealand’s pandemic response was effective overall, describing the decisions and strategies as "considered and appropriate." Nonetheless, it identified areas where the response was insufficient.
"New Zealand’s response strategy and settings weren’t always sufficiently responsive to changing circumstances; for example, they weren’t adapted early enough to deal with later variants of the virus," the report stated.
"At a time when speed was often critical, some decisions had to be made without enough information and data, or without sufficient consideration of all the impacts that might arise, or without important checks and monitoring."
The commission reported hearing from many individuals expressing pain and anger over the pandemic’s effects and the government’s response, emphasising the importance of learning from these experiences.
"The pandemic, and the response to it, has left scars," the report said.
"During the period examined in this phase, people continued to die and others suffered long-term health impacts. Some lost all faith in government and other institutions, and remain disengaged, sceptical or even hostile towards them today."
The commission acknowledged the complexity and high stakes faced by ministers and officials, noting they were "doing the best they could." It also affirmed that evidence showed New Zealand had "among one of the best pandemic responses in the world."
However, it cautioned that while measures such as vaccine mandates were valid tools during a pandemic, they must be implemented with "great care."
Recommendations and Reflections
Before outlining 24 recommendations, the report emphasised that its purpose was "not to apportion blame but to ensure New Zealand is better informed ahead of the next pandemic."
The commission found that transitioning away from the elimination strategy was challenging. The absence of a timely update on the strategy contributed to perceptions that the response was "over-centralised and risk-averse." It recommended that leaders present elimination strategies as "temporary from the outset" to better manage public expectations.
Regarding vaccine hesitancy, the commission stated that the concerns raised were "not grounded in reliable evidence or aligned with scientific consensus." It suggested that governments continue to rely on the best scientific evidence and that a dedicated agency be established to monitor public trust and social cohesion.
Government and Political Responses
Health Minister Simeon Brown commented that although New Zealanders supported the initial 2020 Covid response, the restrictions persisted longer than necessary, and the economic consequences were insufficiently considered.
"New Zealanders made enormous sacrifices and placed enormous trust in their government. We owe it to them to understand what happened and learn from it."
In a joint statement reported by RNZ, former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and former Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson accepted the commission’s findings and recommendations.
"We got a lot right. More than most. But there are areas that could have been better," they said.
Labour leader Chris Hipkins stressed the need to strengthen institutions, public trust, and processes to prepare for future pandemics.
"Over the past two years, the government has cut public health capability while commissioning multiple reviews that repeat the same conclusions," Hipkins said.
"National now needs to answer a simple question: are we better prepared for the next pandemic today than we were in 2020?"
