Covid inquiry: Vaccine mandates went too far, Auckland lockdown could have ended earlier
Thursday, 28 November 2024
Vaccination mandates imposed during the Covid-19 pandemic were too broad and disrupted social cohesion, and the months-long Auckland lockdown could have been shorter.
Those are some of the key findings from the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Covid-19 response, as well as the possible longer-term impacts which the commission said could pose issues for future pandemic managements because of social distrust.
The results of the first part of the inquiry were made public today in a 700-page report that went online this afternoon, after being given to the Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden.
The commission found lockdowns were effective at containing the virus but that if the country had been better prepared New Zealand could have been less reliant on them. The vaccine mandates, while reasonable early on, eventually became too broad and led to significant negative impacts, the report said.
Its summary notes the Government made “hard decisions quickly under pressure but, over time, some shortcomings emerged which were not adequately addressed”.
“The all-of-Government structures set up in the early stages of the Covid-19 response had a clear focus on elimination. They supported the rapid delivery of this strategy which formed the basis of Aotearoa New Zealand’s response.
“Unfortunately, a separate long-term strategy function – that could sit above the fray of the day-to-day response, allow future scenarios to be considered, and deliver integrated long-term planning supporting a smooth transition across later stages of the pandemic – did not evolve.”
Former Covid-19 minister, Labour leader Chris Hipkins, is “working his way through the summary” and will be reading the report over the next few days. He acknowledged the pandemic had been difficult.
“Those who were out of the country and experienced travel restrictions found it incredibly difficult. Those who were in New Zealand found issues around lockdowns in particular, and restrictions that were put in place really challenging.
“There’s nothing that can happen now that will compensate for those who were not there when somebody passed away, were unable to be there for the birth of a child, or all of those major disruptions that New Zealanders experienced.”
Dr Ashley Bloomfield, the former director-general of health, wanted to read the report before commenting on its findings.
'I'm looking forward to reading the report and the recommendations, and it's an opportunity, of course, to learn so that we're better prepared for the next outbreak.'
Last month, Bloomfield co-authored an editorial in the New Zeland Medical Journal about being better prepared for pandemics, saying such pandemics should be primarily be considered a security threat and the response 'owned' by the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet instead of public health officials, and that a new pandemic plan needed improving.
‘Use of mandatory measures … affected social cohesion’
The commission noted that vaccine mandates were a major source of tension and social division and ministers did not face easy decisions, knowing they would carry both economic and social cost.
Among mandatory measures were, not just vaccines, but lockdowns, quarantine and isolation arrangements, contact tracing, and Covid-19 testing.
The inquiry found that testing, contact tracing and masking requirements were reasonable, but their practical implementation could be improved in a future pandemic.
It also found it was reasonable to introduce some targeted vaccine requirements based on information available at the time, however some were applied more broadly than originally envisaged and the case for mandatory vaccination weakened in 2022 once Omicron became the dominant variant.
Based on the information available at the time, in 2021 it was reasonable for the Government to issue orders making vaccination mandatory for specific occupations like border and health workers, the report notes, and it was also reasonable in late 2021 when Delta was circulating, that people were required to show a vaccine pass.
Vaccine requirements were originally targeted and based on a clear expectation of public health benefit, the commission found, but overtime widespread concern fuelled expectation that more settings and workplaces should be included, the report noted.
In 2022: “While beneficial to the individual concerned, vaccination now offered less protection to others and the public health case for requiring it was weak. In our view, some workplace, occupational and other vaccine requirements were applied too broadly and remained in place for too long, which caused harm to individuals and families and contributed to loss of social capital.”
Vaccine requirements had “significant negative impacts” including workforce shortages and issues, people losing their jobs, and the breakdown of family, work and personal relationships due to divisions.
“The use of mandatory measures – and other aspects of the Covid-19 pandemic – affected trust and social cohesion in ways that may make future pandemic responses more difficult.”
Lockdowns
In relation to the final Auckland lockdown, which lasted months and ended in December of 2021, the inquiry found that although the Government was taking into account giving more time to vulnerable Māori and Pasifika communities to get vaccinated, other factors such as waning protection and assessments of likely resurgence could have been considered alongside vaccine coverage.
It noted that lockdowns in the Australian states of Victoria and New South Wales ended earlier and at lower vaccination coverage levels than Auckland’s, without any associated increase in case numbers.
Some elements of the lockdowns, like regional boundaries and who were deemed essential workers, were hard to implement and caused “many challenges” for businesses, communities and Government.
Groups, like students and people from low socio- economic backgrounds, were disproportionately affected.
Vaccination drive
While New Zealand started its vaccination programme later than other countries, it was quick to achieve high coverage, the commission found. It said the vaccine procurement process was appropriate and effective, and “enormous nationwide effort” underpinned its success.
But, opportunities to ensure more equitable vaccination uptake were missed by not involving Māori, Pacific and community-based providers earlier in parallel to the main vaccination programme, the commission found, and vaccine hesitancy became a handbrake - fuelled by misinformation and distrust of the Government.
A rewards programme - giving vouchers in exchange for vaccinations - raised “ethical challenges” and it would have been better to improve vaccine access and address the root causes of vaccine hesitancy, the report noted.
“In a future pandemic, direct incentives to boost vaccination should be used with caution.”
‘Conditions ripe for misinformation’
Experts told the Commission that during the pandemic conditions were ripe for misinformation and disinformation. Disaffection over vaccine mandates and increasing misinformation culminated in the “dramatic” occupation of Parliament by protesters in early 2022.
Ministers were becoming aware of their eroding social license in Auckland as its lockdown went on, although they didn’t think there were viable alternatives, and “the characterisation of the Government as the ‘single source of truth’ also came to be seen by some as unhelpful.”
The Government’s daily 1pm press conferences that endured through the pandemic became a feature of lockdown life, and the phrase was used early on by the then-Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.
“Early in the pandemic, the prime minister had used the phrase ‘single source of truth’ to emphasise that the information being conveyed from the government could be relied upon by the public, in response to a question about Covid-related misinformation.
“These comments were an attempt to tackle misinformation and disinformation by encouraging people to access evidence-based material available on the government website. However, the phrase was frequently quoted in submissions as something that contributed to a sense of mistrust.”
‘I don’t think they were a mistake’
Former Covid-19 minister Chris Hipkins said he didn’t believe mandates were a mistake, and said the Government had thought long and hard about them. The two hardest decisions to make were around vaccination and restrictions of movement.
“I don’t think they were a mistake but I do acknowledge they came at a very big cost.”
The lengthy Auckland lockdown could have been shorter, he agreed, but “I don’t think we’re talking months, but I think there could be weeks of difference, and I recognise, for those families that experienced it, those weeks could have made a difference.”
He didn’t think the Government’s actions taken during the pandemic meant it couldn’t respond appropriately to another one, because of the distrust that had formed.
“I hope it will be well after my time in politics is over, a long way into the future, before the country faces this kind of situation again, but I do think that, you know, with the benefit of hindsight, we get the opportunity to learn from our experiences.
“… I think people will very much respond to the information that’s available at the time, and the way people feel about that now isn’t necessarily going to be the way they feel about that at the start of [another] pandemic.”
Asked about the commission’s comments about the ‘single source of truth’ comment Hipkins said, “I think that quote, which was quite specific to a particular issue, then came to be seen as our statement on everything to do with Covid-19, which I don’t think was ever the intention. I don’t think it was ever intended to be that … every decision that we took was contestable and that no one else was entitled to an opinion.”
He was yet to speak to Dame Jacinda Ardern about the report. “I’m sure at some point we’ll have a conversation about it.”
Recommendations
There were six recommendations.
1. Strengthen all-of-Government coordination and preparedness
2. Ensure a pandemic plan is fully developed and ready
3. Strengthen public health measures including putting plans in place for future quarantine and isolation options, plans for rapidly scaling up testing and contact tracing, implementing border restrictions and lockdowns, and managing impacts, and vaccination
4. Ensure all sectors are prepared for another pandemic
5. Improve how public sector agencies work with iwi and Māori
6. Assign a minister to lead the response to the recommendations, ensure six-monthly progress reports and report to Parliament within 12 months.
Phase two
The findings are made in relation to phase one of the inquiry. Another report at the end of phase two is due in 2026. Phase two starts on Friday and covers what van Velden described as outstanding matters of public concern including vaccine mandates and safety as well as the impact on social and economic disruption.
Expanding the inquiry was part of the coalition agreement.
Phase one commissioners Professor Tony Blakely and John Whitehead have now resigned and Grant Illingworth KC will be the chair for phase two, supported by Commissioners Judy Kavanagh and Anthony Hill.