Asia & Pacific

Ardern to Face Questions at COVID Inquiry Over Lockdowns, Mandates

Former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern will appear before the country’s Royal Commission into the COVID response.
Ardern to Face Questions at COVID Inquiry Over Lockdowns, Mandates
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern speaks during the post-Cabinet press conference at the Beehive in Wellington, New Zealand on Nov. 1, 2021. Mark Mitchell-Pool/Getty Images
Rex Widerstrom
|Updated:

Former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, whose “go early, go hard” response to the pandemic drew international acclaim, is set to testify before the country’s Royal Commission into COVID-19, likely reigniting debate over her government’s handling of the crisis.

Her global message of “be kind” was held up as an example early in the pandemic, earning support in both New Zealand and abroad.

Rex Widerstrom
Rex Widerstrom
Author
Rex Widerstrom is a New Zealand-based reporter with over 40 years of experience in media, including radio and print. He is currently a presenter for Hutt Radio.