New Zealand Covid response among world's best but scars' remain, inquiry finds

"New Zealand did well in responding to the pandemic and the decisions and methods used in the response were considered and appropriate but also identified where the response was lacking. 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 country's strict response, which included lockdowns, vaccine mandates and border quarantine helped to save tens of thousands of lives. But as the pandemic wore on, some anger over the restrictions set in and a small but vocal fringe of anti-vaccine and anti-mandate groups emerged, leading to a violent protest on parliament's lawns."

"The first phase of the inquiry, released in late 2024, found New Zealand had one of the lowest rates of Covid deaths per capita among developed countries. It largely accepted the need for vaccine mandates, while acknowledging they had caused distress and economic harm to some New Zealanders."

A royal commission inquiry into New Zealand's Covid-19 response found it was one of the best globally, with the country recording one of the lowest death rates per capita among developed nations. The second report examined the period from February 2021 to October 2022, covering the shift from elimination to suppression strategy, vaccine safety, immunisation programmes, lockdowns, and testing technology. New Zealand's strict measures—including lockdowns, vaccine mandates, and border quarantine—saved tens of thousands of lives. However, the inquiry identified limitations: response strategies weren't always sufficiently responsive to changing circumstances and weren't adapted early enough for new virus variants. Some decisions were made without adequate information, data, or consideration of broader impacts. While the commission largely accepted vaccine mandates' necessity, it acknowledged they caused distress and economic harm to some New Zealanders.

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