A royal commission investigating New Zealand's Covid-19 response has concluded it was among the best globally but acknowledged the period created "scars" within the population. The second report, released on Tuesday, focused on the period from February 2021 to October 2022, a time that saw a shift from an elimination strategy to suppression and minimisation. It also examined vaccine safety, the immunisation program, lockdowns, and tracing/testing technologies.
New Zealand's Covid-19 response was "among the best globally" but left "scars" within the population, a royal commission has concluded.
The commission, established in 2022 by Jacinda Ardern's Labour-led government, noted that New Zealand recorded 5,641 Covid-19 deaths since 2020. The nation's stringent measures, including lockdowns, vaccine mandates, and border quarantine, were credited with saving tens of thousands of lives.
Commission Findings
Overall Performance and Successes
The commission determined that New Zealand performed well in its pandemic response, with decisions and methods generally considered "appropriate." Ministers and officials were recognized for "doing the best they could" in a complex, high-stakes environment, resulting in "among one of the best pandemic responses in the world."
Identified Deficiencies
Despite the overall positive assessment, the report identified areas where the response could have been better:
- The response strategy and settings were not always sufficiently responsive to evolving circumstances, such as later viral variants.
- Some critical decisions were made without adequate information, data, or comprehensive consideration of potential impacts and monitoring.
Societal Impact and Challenges
While acknowledging the effectiveness of the response, the report highlighted the distress it caused.
"The pandemic, and the response to it, has left scars."
It noted that many individuals expressed pain and anger, with some losing faith in government institutions. The report also advised that while restrictions like vaccine mandates are valid tools, they should be applied "with great care."
Recommendations and Lessons Learned
The report made 24 recommendations, with the objective of informing future pandemic preparedness, not to assign blame.
The report's objective was to inform future pandemic preparedness, not to assign blame.
Key recommendations included:
- Exiting the elimination strategy was challenging, and the lack of timely updates made the response appear overly centralised and risk-averse. The commission suggested presenting elimination strategies as "temporary from the outset" to manage public expectations effectively.
- Concerns regarding vaccine hesitancy were found not to be based on reliable evidence. It recommended that governments continue to be guided by scientific evidence and that an agency monitor public trust and social cohesion.
Official Reactions
Health Minister Simeon Brown stated that while the initial 2020 response had public support, restrictions continued longer than necessary, and economic costs were not sufficiently weighted.
Former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and former Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson accepted the findings, acknowledging both successes and areas for improvement.
Labour leader Chris Hipkins called for strengthened institutions and processes to prepare for future pandemics, questioning the current government's readiness.