Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand

[1] In mid-March 2020, the New Zealand Government imposed a four-tier alert level system, which placed much of the country's economy into lockdown with the exception of "essential services" such as supermarkets.

[15] By mid–September 2021, the Restaurant Association's Chief executive Marisa Bidois estimated that about 1,000 hospitality businesses nationwide had been forced to close as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to the loss of 13,000 jobs.

[17] In early February 2022, the Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) identified the country's border restrictions and declining house prices as the major risks to the New Zealand economy that year.

[21] On 31 March 2020, NZ Pork CEO David Baines warned that the Government's decision to classify butcheries as non-essential services would have serious implications for the welfare of pigs on New Zealand farms.

[25][26][27][28] In mid–October 2020 Richard Palmer, the CEO of the producer representative body Summerfruit New Zealand, warned that the horticulture might not be able to pick up 30% of its harvest that year, a shortfall that could cost NZ$1.25 billion in export earnings.

[28] On 11 February 2021, Stuff reported that the Government's New Zealand Work Scheme to address the labour shortage in the fruit-picking sector caused by COVID-19 had only attracted 54 people since its launch in late November 2020.

[30] On 2 August 2021, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced that seasonal workers from Tonga, Samoa and Vanuatu will be allowed to enter the country without having to go into managed isolation from September 2021 onwards.

[34] On 16 March, the national carrier Air New Zealand announced that it would be reducing its long-haul capacity by 85% and its personnel by 30% in response to declining demand and revenue as a result of the outbreak.

[56] Following a community outbreak of the Delta variant in Auckland and the Coromandel Peninsula in 17 August, Prime Minister Ardern announced that people would have 48 hours to return home.

[57] On 19 August, Air New Zealand CEO Greg Foran asked the Government to extend its 48-hour deadline due to the high demand for flights from Queenstown to Auckland.

[58] On 26 August, Air New Zealand reported a net loss of NZ$289 million due to closed borders and disrupted services caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

[62] In late October 2021, Air New Zealand's policy of cancelling domestic flights into early December due to Auckland border restrictions attracted criticism from customers.

[71] On 31 May 50 Avatar crew including Hollywood director James Cameron were granted entry into New Zealand under a special visa category for border exemptions for foreigners deemed essential to a project of "significant economic value.

"[72] On 12 August 2021, Amazon Studios announced that it would be moving its then-untitled The Lord of The Rings TV series from New Zealand to the United Kingdom after completing filming of the first season.

[73] Factors that played a role in the relocation of filming from NZ back to the UK included New Zealand's strict pandemic border management policies which created logistical problems for many international cast members (half of whom were British) and Amazon executives wanting to visit and monitor the production.

[81][82] In mid-September 2021, the fast food chain McDonald's drew criticism from the Unite Union for not ensuring adequate social distancing between staff and customers at their stores' drive-through windows.

Other fastfood chains including Restaurant Brands' subsidiaries KFC, Pizza Hut, Carl's Jr and Taco Bell close the window between staff and customers during payment.

Unite Union national secretary John Crocker disputed Kenny's explanation and stated that he intended to pursue the matter with the WorkSafe regulatory body.

[83] By 23 September 2021, the Restaurant Association's Chief executive Marisa Bidois estimated that about 1,000 hospitality businesses in New Zealand had been forced to close as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic since March 2020, representing the loss of about 13,000 jobs.

National MP Nick Smith has also called on the Government to lift the blanket ban on foreign ships, citing the case of the American Samoa–registered tuna fishing vessel Captain Vincent Gann, which was denied entry by Immigration New Zealand and asked to seek urgent repairs in Hawaii.

[101] On 25 May, MediaWorks' CEO Michael Anderson announced that the company would be eliminating 130 jobs in its sales, out-of-home, and radio divisions as a result of the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

[102][103][104] On 12 June, it was reported that national broadcaster TVNZ was planning to cut 100 jobs over the next few weeks to save $10 million and that the company was looking for a new head of news to replace John Gillespie.

[115] On 12 May, hardware and DIY chain Bunnings announced that it will close seven stores in Ashburton, Hornby, Hastings, Cambridge, Rangiora, Te Awamutu, and Putāruru with the loss of 145 jobs.

[124][125] On 19 August, the supermarket chain Countdown temporarily closed two of its Auckland stores for cleaning after health authorities confirmed they had been visited by two individuals who had tested positive for COVID-19.

[134] On 20 August 2021, the Countdown supermarket chain announced that it would be changing its store hours from 8am to 9pm in order to give its teams enough time to restock their shelves following a Delta variant community outbreak in Auckland.

This petition was supported by Beef and Lamb NZ chief executive Kit Arkwright and Federated Farmers' Wairarapa meat and wool chair and National Party candidate Mike Butterick.

[137] In early September, Stuff reported that Remuera butcher Richard Hogg was offering "click-and-collect" services to customers in defiance of Level 4 lockdown rules in Auckland.

[143] On 10 September, pay television company Sky reported a loss of NZ$175 million, down 74% the previous year, after it wrote-down the value of its assets by $178m to reflect the economic uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

[145] On 20 April 2021, telecommunications provider Vodafone was criticised after it issued a memo warning staff members they faced the risk of termination if a border closure meant they were stuck in Australia.

[153] That same month, COVID-19 modeller Dr Emily Harvey expressed concern that the return of cruiser ships to New Zealand could lead to an increased risk of COVID-19 infections at ports such as Picton.