Government Expands Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons Learned

Established in December 2022, the Royal Commission initially aimed to identify lessons from the COVID-19 experience to bolster New Zealand’s pandemic preparedness.

Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden announced today that the coalition Government is fulfilling its commitment to expand the terms of reference for the independent Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons Learned.

“There will be a second phase to the Royal Commission featuring new commissioners and an expanded terms of reference. It will focus on matters of ongoing public concern including vaccine efficacy and safety, the extended lockdowns in Auckland and Northland, and the extent of disruption to New Zealanders’ health, education, and business,” said Ms. van Velden.

Established in December 2022, the Royal Commission initially aimed to identify lessons from the COVID-19 experience to bolster New Zealand’s pandemic preparedness. Both the ACT-National and New Zealand First-National coalition agreements included commitments to broaden the inquiry to address outstanding public concerns.

“In January, the Government agreed to conduct public consultations on expanding the Royal Commission's terms of reference. During February and March, the Commission received over 13,000 public submissions, which have been considered in the second phase of the inquiry,” stated van Velden.

The second phase of the inquiry will commence in November this year, with the final report and recommendations expected by February 2026. As per the New Zealand First-National coalition agreement, parts of the second phase will be conducted publicly, including hearing evidence where appropriate.

Current commissioners, Professor Tony Blakely and John Whitehead, will resign in November after delivering the first phase report. New commissioners and detailed terms of reference will be announced in August.

“Having a second phase of the Royal Commission meets the requirements in both the ACT and New Zealand First coalition agreements while maintaining the integrity of the statutory inquiry system. I look forward to the future of the Inquiry and to seeing the findings and recommendations made public at the end of the second phase in early 2026,” van Velden added.

Cabinet has agreed to the following points as an indicative scope for the second phase:

Vaccine Use: Examining mandates, approval processes, safety, and the monitoring and reporting of adverse reactions.

Social and Economic Disruption: Assessing the impacts of response policies on social division, isolation, health, education, inflation, debt, and business activity, and balancing these against COVID-19 minimization and protection goals.

Extended Lockdowns: Evaluating whether shorter lockdowns could have achieved similar public health benefits in Auckland and Northland.

Partnerships: Reviewing the utilization of partnerships with businesses and professional groups.

New Technology and Methods: Exploring the use of new technology, methods, and effective international practices.

The expanded inquiry aims to address critical areas of public concern and enhance New Zealand’s readiness for future pandemics.