Pandemic Perspectives

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Commissioner foreword | Kupu Whakataki

For many people, the COVID-19 pandemic was an exceptionally difficult time which people are still feeling the effects of – whether those be physical, emotional or financial.

The Pandemic Perspectives Summary report reflects what Phase Two of the Inquiry has heard from both organisations and individuals about their experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic and of the Government's response to the pandemic. These experiences were gathered from written public submissions and from meetings with organisations and community groups across Aotearoa New Zealand.

The ongoing effects of the pandemic, and of the Government's response to combat that pandemic, are clearly still being felt as highlighted in the submissions we have received and the experiences we have heard through engagements. Everyone experienced the pandemic and the response differently. By gathering these experiences, along with a range of other evidence, we have been able to build a rich picture of the COVID-19 pandemic in Aotearoa New Zealand, and an understanding of the impacts of the key decisions that were made.

This phase of the Inquiry examined key decisions made by the New Zealand Government in 2021 and 2022. These decisions covered vaccine mandates, vaccine safety and approvals, testing and tracing, public health materials, and lockdowns – particularly the extended Auckland and Northland lockdowns in 2021. We were asked to look at whether the Government considered the broader impacts of these decisions on society, health, education, and the economy when weighing them against their effectiveness in managing COVID-19. We also examined whether these decisions had unforeseen consequences and whether they reflected the advice given to Government, international data, and New Zealand's circumstances.

The Inquiry received 31,822 submissions from the public. We invited submissions from anyone who wished to share their experiences, and we heard from people all over the country. The region with the highest number of submissions was Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, with large numbers of submissions also coming from Te Tai Tokerau Northland and Whakatū Nelson. In particular, vaccine mandates, vaccine safety, and lockdowns featured frequently in the feedback we received.

We heard a range of views on the Government's response to COVID-19, although the majority (around 85 percent) were critical of the Government's response. We know that these views are not necessarily representative of the views of New Zealanders as a whole, but we appreciate hearing from a group who feel very strongly about their experiences during the pandemic, and about how future pandemics should be managed.

The Inquiry also met with 108 groups across 42 engagements between April and July 2025. These groups were invited by the Inquiry to share their experiences to make sure we heard a broad range of views from different regions, communities, and sectors. We heard a range of perspectives and experiences, with many people sharing the ongoing negative impacts the pandemic and the response have had on their lives and the lives of those they represent.

We recognise that all perspectives and experiences hold deep significance. They provide essential insights into the complex realities faced by individuals, communities, and sectors across regions during the pandemic. These lived experiences are fundamental to shaping our recommendations for building stronger pandemic resilience in the future.

The experiences outlined in this report have been considered as part of the wide range of evidence gathered by the Inquiry. This evidence was gathered from interviews with key decision makers, further evidence gathered at public hearings, extensive written evidence gathered from Government agencies and other stakeholders, and independent research conducted by the Inquiry. Together this information has helped the Inquiry build a complete picture of the topics we have been asked to review, and in turn has helped us develop recommendations that will help Aotearoa New Zealand prepare for and face future pandemics. We need a well-organised, resilient, robust defence, and we need to be able to come together as a country to face future pandemics.

The Inquiry has also considered submissions received during Phase One of the Inquiry which are relevant to our terms of reference and that were not classified as permanently confidential, and information received through the terms of reference consultation in 2024 that covered the topics we have reviewed in Phase Two. These submissions are covered separately, and in detail, in the Phase One Experiences Report and the NZ Royal Commission COVID-19 Lessons Learned I Te Tira Ārai Urutā: Terms of Reference – Full analysis of public consultation results.

Thank you to everyone who has shared their perspectives and experiences with us. We know that many of these accounts were not easy to share and will have surfaced memories that are difficult to face. Please know that your contributions have been read and seen by us and have played an important part in building Aotearoa New Zealand's resilience for future pandemics.

We would also like to thank those who made this work and this report possible, particularly the teams at Delib and Global Research who supported the collection and analysis of these submissions.

This Inquiry's reports are being delivered to the Governor-General on behalf of the Government. It will be up to both present and future governments to consider the recommendations made at each phase of this Inquiry, and to decide on the best ways to implement those recommendations, to help Aotearoa New Zealand to strengthen its preparedness for future pandemics, whatever they may be.

Ngā mihi nui

Grant Illingworth KC - Chair

Grant Illingworth KC, Chair

Grant Illingworth KC
Chair

Anthony Hill, Commissioner

Anthony Hill
Commissioner

Judy Kavanagh - Commissioner

Judy Kavanagh
Commissioner

Kupu Whakataki | Commissioner foreword

Ki te nuinga o te tangata, he wā tino uaua te mate urutā KORONA-19, ā, e pā tonu ana ngā pānga o te mate urutā me ngā mahi a te Kāwanatanga o Aotearoa i taua wā – ahakoa he pānga tinana, hinengaro, pūtea rānei.

Ko te Pūrongo Whakarāpopoto mō ngā Tirohanga o te Mate Urutā e whakaatu ana i ngā kōrero i rongo ai te Kōmihana i te Wāhanga Tuarua, i ngā tōpūtanga me ngā tāngata takitahi, mō ā rātou wheako i te mate urutā me te urupare a te Kāwanatanga. I kohia ēnei wheako mai i ngā tāpaetanga ā-tuhi, me ngā hui tōpūtanga me ngā rōpū hapori puta noa i Aotearoa.

E tino kitea ana kei te pā tonu ngā pānga o te mate urutā me te urupare a te Kāwanatanga ki te wawao i te urutā, e ai ki ngā tāpaetanga i tukuna mai me ngā kōrero i rongo ai mātou i ngā hui. He rerekē te wheako o ia tangata i te mate urutā me te urupare. Mā te kohikohi i ēnei wheako, me ētahi atu taunakitanga, kua taea e mātou te hanga i tētahi whakaahua hōhonu o te mate urutā COVID-19 i Aotearoa, me te mārama ki ngā pānga o ngā whakatau matua i whakaritea.

I tēnei wāhanga o te Tātaritanga, i tirohia ngā whakatau matua a te Kāwanatanga i ngā tau 2021 me 2022. I kapi ēnei whakatau i ngā whakature kano āraimate, te haumaru me te whakaaetanga o ngā kano āraimate, te whakamātautau me te whai i te mate, ngā rauemi hauora tūmatanui, me ngā rāhui– ina koa ko ngā rāhui roa i Tāmaki Makaurau me Te Tai Tokerau i te tau 2021. I tonoa mātou kia tirohia mēnā i whai whakaaro te Kāwanatanga ki ngā pānga whānui o ēnei whakatau ki te hapori, te hauora, te mātauranga, me te ōhanga, i te wā e whakataurite ana i tō rātou whaihua ki te whakahaere i te KORONA-19.

I tae mai he 31,822 tāpaetanga mai i te iwi whānui. I tonoa ngā tāngata katoa e hiahia ana kia tuku i ā rātou wheako, ā, i rongo mātou i ngā kōrero puta noa i te motu. Ko Tāmaki Makaurau te rohe i nui rawa atu ngā tāpaetanga, ā, i nui hoki ngā tāpaetanga i tae mai i Te Tai Tokerau me Whakatū. Ko ngā whakature kano āraimate, te haumaru o ngā kano āraimate, me ngā rāhui ngā kaupapa i tino kitea i ngā urupare. Ahakoa he rerekē ngā tirohanga, ko te nuinga (tata ki te 85%) i whakahē i te urupare a te Kāwanatanga. E mōhio ana mātou kāore ēnei tirohanga e tohu ana i te katoa o ngā whakaaro o ngā tāngata o Aotearoa, engari e mihi ana mātou ki te hunga i kaha te whakaputa i ā rātou wheako me ō rātou whakaaro mō te whakahaere i ngā mate urutā ā muri ake nei.

I hui hoki te Kōmihana ki te 108 rōpū i roto i te 42 hui i te wā i waenga i te Paenga-whāwhā me te Hōngongoi 2025. I tonoa ēnei rōpū kia whakapuaki i ā rātou wheako kia rongo mātou i ngā tirohanga whānui mai i ngā rohe, hapori, me ngā rāngai whānui. He maha ngā kōrero i rongo mātou mō ngā pānga kino e mau tonu ana ki te oranga o te tangata me ō rātou hapori.

E mōhio ana mātou he tino hira ngā tirohanga me ngā wheako katoa. He tuku māramatanga hira ēnei mō ngā āhuatanga pāmamae i pāngia nei ki ngā tāngata, ki ngā hapori, me ngā rāngai puta noa i ngā takiwā i te wā o te mate urutā. He tūāpapa ngā wheako ora nei hei waihanga i ā mātou tūtohutanga kia kaha ake te ārai urutā mō āpōpō.

Ko ngā wheako e whakahuatia ana i roto i tēnei pūrongo i whakaarohia i te whānuitanga o ngā taunakitanga i kohia e te Tātaritanga. I kohia ēnei taunakitanga mā ngā uiuinga ki ngā kaiwhakatau matua, ērā atu taunakitanga i kohia i ngā huinga marea, ngā taunakitanga tuhi roa i tukuna mai e ngā rāngai kāwanatanga me ērā atu hunga whaipānga, me ngā rangahau tū motuhake i whakahaeretia e te Tātaritanga. Nā ēnei mōhiohio i āwhina ai te Tātaritanga ki te hanga i tētahi whakaahua whānui o ngā kaupapa i tonoa kia arotakea, ā, nā reira ka āwhina hoki kia whanakehia ngā tūtohutanga kia whakarite i a Aotearoa mō ngā urutā ā muri ake nei. Me whai whakaritenga pai, me whai ārai pakari, me whai parenga kaha, ā, me kaha hoki tātou ki te tū tahi hei whenua ki te aro ki ngā urutā ā mua.

Kua whakawhirinaki hoki te Tātaritanga ki ngā tono i tukuna i te Wāhanga Tuatahi o te Pūrongo e hāngai ana ki ā mātou tikanga whakahaere, ā, kāore i noho huna tūmau me ngā mōhiohio i tae mai ma te uiuitanga tikanga whakahaere i te tau 2024 i kapi i ngā kaupapa i a mātou e arotake ana i te Wāhanga Tuarua. Kua kapia ēnei tono i roto i tētahi pūrongo motuhake I akotakengia I te Wahanga Tuatahi, ki te Pūrongo Wheako Wāhanga Tuatahi me te Tria Ārai Urutā KORONA-19 Ngā Akoranga I Te Tira Ārai Urutā: Ngā Tikanga Whakahaere – Te katoa o Ngā tātaritanga o ngā hua o ngā kōrerorero tūmatanui.

Ngā mihi ki ngā tāngata katoa i tohaina ā rātou tirohanga me ā rātou wheako ki a mātou. E mōhio ana mātou he uaua ērā kōrero ki ētahi ki te tohatoha, ā, Na ērā kōrero i whakahoki mai ngā maharatanga ka uaua te aro. He nui ō mātou mihi ki ngā tāngata i whai wāhi ki te tohatoha i ō rātou whakaaro ki a mātou. Kia mōhio ai koutou kua pānuitia, kua kite hoki mātou i ā koutou takoha, ā, kua whai wāhi nui ēnei ki te whakakaha i te ārai urutā o Aotearoa mō ngā urutā ā mua.

E mihi ana mātou ki ngā rōpū i āwhina i te kohikohi me te tātaritanga o ēnei tono, otirā, ki ngā tīma o Delib me Global Research i tautoko i tēnei mahi.

Kei te tuku atu ngā pūrongo o tēnei Tātaritanga ki te Kāwana Tianara mō te hunga kāwanatanga. Ka riro i ngā kāwanatanga o nāianei me āpōpō hei whakaaro ki ngā tūtohutanga i puta i ia wahanga o tēnei Tātaritanga, ā, ka whakatau i ngā huarahi pai hei whakatinana i aua tūtohutanga, kia kaha ake ai te whakarite a Aotearoa mō ngā urutā ā mua, ahakoa ngā āhuatanga o ēnā.