Commissioners also say the vaccine requirements eroded public trust and call for investment to plan for the next pandemic

Summary

New Zealand’s royal commission into its Covid-19 response found vaccine mandates were reasonable based on available data but acknowledged they harmed social cohesion.

The report praised the country’s elimination strategy for achieving one of the lowest Covid death rates among developed nations while preventing healthcare system collapse.

However, it criticized prolonged lockdowns, weak health system preparedness, and a lack of planning for future crises.

Commissioners urged broad investment in pandemic readiness and emphasized the importance of both frontline and planning staff.

A second phase of the inquiry will review vaccine harms and conclude in 2026.

    • Noedel@lemmy.world
      542·
      9 hours ago

      There’s a new government and a complete shift in power. The enquiry is neutral. Nobody’s patting themselves on the back.

      • kaffiene@lemmy.worldEnglish
        8·
        3 hours ago

        Yep. The people who brought the enquiry would love for it to criticise the covid response, as they were the ones cheerleading the naysayers

        • shaun@lemmy.world
          11·
          1 hour ago

          I’m not against the NZ covid response, but it was far from perfect. And if you actually read the enquiry, it does make a lot of criticism on many aspects. It’s not just this headline.