Asia & Pacific

Inquiry Praises NZ’s COVID Response, But Says Mandates Went ‘Beyond What Was Necessary’

The Commission found New Zealanders in 2026 are still ‘bruised’ and ’more divided.’
Inquiry Praises NZ’s COVID Response, But Says Mandates Went ‘Beyond What Was Necessary’
Former Labour Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announcing her resignation at the War Memorial Centre in Napier, New Zealand, on Jan. 19, 2023. Kerry Marshall/Getty Images
Rex Widerstrom
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The inquiry into New Zealand’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic has concluded the second and last stage of its investigation and produced a report with 25 recommendations on how similar crises should be handled in the future.

It found fault with several aspects of the former Ardern Labour government’s actions around balancing civil rights with health priorities but concluded that, overall, lives were saved by the response.

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.