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.
“By many measures, New Zealand’s response to the pandemic was enviable,” the report says. “[The country] recorded lower case numbers and fewer COVID-19 deaths per capita than nearly all comparable countries.”
The health system did not collapse, and the economy rebounded strongly from the initial shock, with unemployment rates remaining low throughout the pandemic period….
Inquiry Praises NZ’s COVID Response, But Says Mandates Went ‘Beyond What Was Necessary’
