Last call to share Covid-19 pandemic experience with inquiry

Defence lawyer Grant Illingworth in court.

The chairperson of the Covid-19 inquiry has put out a last-minute call for people to share their experiences of the pandemic.

Public submissions close at midnight Sunday, but Grant Illingworth KC said it was important to hear from as many people as possible, as it will provide a fuller picture of how both the pandemic and the government’s response to it affected people.

“We strongly encourage you. Every single person has their own story to tell. Every single life really matters and we want as many people as possible to share their perspectives of what happened during Covid.”

Read more: Covid 19 Inquiry public submissions closing this weekend.

The Inquiry was currently reviewing key decisions the Government made in response to the pandemic between February 2021 and October 2022. It said a “key decision” was one made by the government that had a “significant impact on a large number of people or had a significant cost at a national or regional level (or both)”.

The Inquiry’s focus is on three main areas:

Vaccines, including the use of mandates, the approval of vaccines, and vaccine safety
Lockdowns, especially the national lockdown in August and September 2021 and the Auckland/Northland extended lockdown late 2021.
Testing, tracing, and other public health tools.