The Phase Two COVID-19 Inquiry report is now live

Tēnā koutou katoa,

The final reports from Te Tira Ārai Urutā – the Royal Commission of Inquiry into COVID-19 Lessons Learned have now been published on the Inquiry’s website.

The reports produced by Phase Two of the Inquiry are:

• • Whītiki Aotearoa: Further lessons from COVID-19 to prepare Aotearoa New Zealand for a future pandemic (main report)
  • Pandemic Perspectives: Summary of Public Submissions and Engagements (supplementary report)
  • COVID-19 by the Numbers (supplementary report)

In addition to the above, the Inquiry has released:

Summaries of the main report

• • Phase Two report explainer video
  • Phase Two Findings: A video summary from the Chair
  • Phase Two main report chapter summaries – videos from the Chair
  • Summary documents in the following languages: te reo Māori, Samoan, Tongan, Hindi and Simplified Chinese.

Please note that summarised information will also soon be available in the following alternative formats: New Zealand Sign Language, Easy Read, Braille, Audio and Large Print.

Evidence held by the Inquiry

• • Written transcripts of interviews with select key decision-makers and senior public servants
  • Short summaries of engagements held with community and advocacy groups, businesses and organisations

The Inquiry’s Phase One reports and support content, published in November 2024, also remain available for you to access on the Inquiry’s website. These include:

• • Whītiki Aotearoa: Lessons from COVID-19 to prepare Aotearoa New Zealand for a future pandemic (main report)
  • Summary Report (supplementary report)
  • Experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic (supplementary report)
  • Consolidated Lessons and Recommendations (supplementary document)
  • Phase One report summary video

All reports are available in both HTML (website) and PDF formats. 

Hon. Simeon Brown, Minister of Health, has been tasked with leading the New Zealand Government’s response to the Inquiry’s reports. Minister Brown will work with Government departments to review the reports and implement recommendations to help Aotearoa New Zealand be better prepared to face future pandemics. You can read more about the Government’s initial response to the Inquiry’s reports on the Beehive website.

Evidence held by the Inquiry is currently being processed for archiving at Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga | Archives New Zealand. Some information will remain confidential to the Inquiry, while other information may be made available to members of the public on request. More information about what kind of information may be available for you to access is detailed in Minute 6: Access to Inquiry documents. [PDF, 518 KB]  

The Inquiry’s social media channels and email addresses will remain live; however, they will no longer be actively managed. For any questions about the work of the Inquiry, please contact Te Tari Taiwhenua | Department of Internal Affairs by emailing statutoryinquiries@dia.govt.nz  

Thank you for your interest in, and for engaging with, the work of the Inquiry. 

Ngā manaakitanga, 

The Inquiry team