COVID-19 Inquiry Newsletter: Issue 17

A MESSAGE FROM OUR CHAIR

The Inquiry’s public submissions portal has now been open for over a month. 

So far, we have received submissions from every age group, from those 18-and-under to those 85 and older. We have heard from every region in Aotearoa New Zealand (except the Chatham Islands). We have heard from many individuals, but also from families/whānau, businesses, and iwi.

Thank you to everyone who has made a submission to the Inquiry so far – it’s incredibly important that we hear from as many people as possible about their experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The submissions period is open until 27 April 2025. If you or someone you know would like to make a submission, please visit www.covid19inquiry.nz or call 0800 500 306.

As we enter March, the Inquiry has now reached the end of its establishment phase. This phase is an important part of any Inquiry, allowing us to complete work such as creating a work programme and setting a strategic direction, as well as hiring the necessary staff to support our work.

As we have now reached the end of this establishment period, we are saying farewell to some of the staff who supported this part of the Inquiry.

First, thank you and farewell to our Executive Director, Helen Potiki. Helen has been responsible for establishing the overall direction of the Inquiry, and we are very grateful for her hard work, dedication, and calm leadership during this time. We wish her all the best with her new role within the Department of Internal Affairs and for the future.

Thank you and farewell also to our Counsel Assist, Kristy McDonald KC and Nick Whittington. It is vital to any Inquiry to have the strong support of legal experts, and we are grateful for the excellent work undertaken by Kristy and Nick over the last few months.

Andrew Sweet, who recently joined the Inquiry as Head of Delivery, will be the acting Executive Director ahead of more permanent arrangements being put in place. The process to appoint a new counsel assisting the Inquiry is underway, and we look forward to announcing an appointment soon.  

Over the coming months, the Inquiry will continue to gather evidence towards our final recommendations. As well as seeking written evidence and documentation from Government Agencies and other sources, we will also begin to hold evidence-gathering meetings. We will keep you informed on the progress of these meetings as they occur.

As many of you will know, 28 February 2025 marked five years from the day the first case of COVID-19 was detected in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Aotearoa has been through a rough time in the years since, and many people are still feeling the effects of the pandemic.

That is why, even five years on, it is important that we continue with this Inquiry. We’re focused on addressing questions the public want answered regarding this very difficult time, to make sure the concerns of everyone who experienced Aotearoa New Zealand’s pandemic response are heard, and to help New Zealanders better understand the Government’s response to COVID-19. We want to ensure that a robust Inquiry has taken place into Aotearoa New Zealand’s response to COVID-19.

We are here to ensure that lessons are learned for the future, and to make sure Aotearoa New Zealand is prepared for future pandemics. We need a well-organised, resilient, robust defence to any future pandemics, and we need to be able to come together as a country to face any future pandemics. Our goal is to provide recommendations – that can be understood by all New Zealanders – to help build a strong response for the future. We are very honoured to have the opportunity to lead this Inquiry.

Ngā mihi nui,

Grant Illingworth KC
Chair – Phase Two

UNDERSTANDING THE TOPICS THE INQUIRY IS ASSESSING

During Phase Two, the Inquiry is assessing the following topics:

• Vaccines, including mandates, safety, and approvals
• Lockdowns, especially the lockdowns of late 2021 onwards
• Testing, tracing, and public health materials

Many of these are large topics that cover many different areas. In particular, the Inquiry has received some queries asking to clarify what is included in the topic of vaccines, particularly regarding the scope of the vaccine safety topic, and whether it also includes vaccine efficacy.

The Inquiry will be considering available evidence from a range of sources on the use of vaccines during the COVID-19 response. The Phase One report made a useful distinction between ‘vaccine efficacy’ and ‘vaccine effectiveness,’ and this has guided our thinking about what would be considered in scope for this second phase, under the broad heading of vaccine safety. The Inquiry intends to consider vaccine safety by assessing the following areas: scientific or technical evidence regarding the health effects of COVID-19 vaccines used in Aotearoa New Zealand, the functionality of the vaccine itself, and the processes used to approve the vaccine.

However, while the Inquiry intends to consider a wide range of evidence on many aspects of vaccine safety, the Inquiry is not authorised to conduct its own laboratory studies and clinical trials regarding any COVID-19 vaccine in terms of its overall ‘efficacy’.

If you have any questions about any topics included in the terms of reference, please email the Inquiry at InquiryintoCOVID-19lessons@dia.govt.nz. For more information, you can also see our FAQs section.

KEEP UP WITH THE WORK OF THE INQUIRY

As well as this pānui, you can also receive updates about the Inquiry on:

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You can also find updates about the Inquiry on our website.