15 - What happens next Ka aha ā muri ake?

Te Tira Ārai Urutā the Royal Commission of Inquiry into COVID-19 Lessons Learned is tasked with examining the lessons from Aotearoa New Zealand’s response to COVID-19 that should be applied in preparation for any future pandemic.

This report summarises material from the Inquiry’s Phase One main report and Experiences Report, highlighting the lessons we learned looking back on the pandemic response, the lessons we consider should be learned for future pandemics, and the actions we recommend the government takes to ensure Aotearoa New Zealand is pandemic-ready and resilient.

As we cannot predict when the next pandemic will occur, how deadly it may be, or how long it may circulate in our communities, it is important to be prepared for a range of scenarios. We therefore urge the Government to consider and implement our Phase One recommendations as soon as practicable and for the minister in charge to provide regular progress updates on how recommendations are being implemented.

Phase Two of the Inquiry

Phase Two of the Inquiry, which commences on 29 November 2024, is investigating key decisions taken by Government in New Zealand’s response to COVID-19 between February 2021 and October 2022, regarding:

• The use of vaccines in response to COVID-19, specifically vaccine mandates; the approval of specific COVID-19 vaccines; and vaccine safety, including the monitoring and reporting of adverse reactions.
• The imposition and maintenance of lockdowns, specifically the national lockdown in August and September 2021, and the extended lockdown in Auckland and Northland in September 2021.
• The procurement, development and distribution of testing and tracing technologies and non-pharmaceutical public health materials, specifically the impact of private sector involvement or non-involvement.
  
  

Phase Two of the Inquiry will make findings on whether key decisions were well-informed (particularly regarding any social and economic disruption key decisions were likely to cause) and whether those decisions had unforeseen consequences; and make recommendations on considerations that should inform future decisions to best prepare Aotearoa New Zealand to respond to any future pandemics.

Phase Two of the Inquiry will be led by Grant Illingworth KC (Chair), and fellow Commissioners Judy Kavanagh and Anthony Hill. The Inquiry will deliver its Phase Two report by 26 February 2026.