New Zealand government response to the COVID-19 pandemic

[49] In addition, Ardern announced that the New Zealand and Australian Governments would be cancelling Anzac Day services scheduled to be held at Gallipoli in Turkey in response to travel restrictions and the coronavirus outbreak.

[6] On 22 March, Associate Health and Whānau Ora Minister Peeni Henare announced that the Government would invest $56.4 million in funding to aid Māori communities and businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

[58][59] Prior to its closure, Parliament passed three bills with cross-party support including: That same day, the Finance Minister announced that the Government was negotiating with banks to ensure that nobody would lose their homes as a result of defaulting on mortgage payments during the pandemic.

[65] On 26 March, Ardern announced that the Government would give $27 million to social service providers such as the Salvation Army and Women's Refuge to help the vulnerable cope with the lockdown.

On 8 April, New Zealand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade announced providing $4 million worth of funds to help the government tackle the health, economic, and social impacts of the COVID-19.

The new Level 2 guidelines described "a safer version of normal", with the return of recreational activities and businesses with enforced physical distancing, hygiene and customer registration methods, and no more than 100 people per gathering.

[106][107] On 11 May, it was announced that New Zealand would enter Alert Level 2 from 11:59 pm on 13 May, lifting lockdown restrictions while maintaining physical distancing in public and for private gatherings with more than ten people.

[129] On 19 June, Housing Minister Megan Woods was given joint responsibility with Air Commodore Darryn Webb for overseeing isolation and quarantine facilities for travellers entering New Zealand.

[154][156] On 16 August, Health Minister Hipkins issued a statement condemning the use of social media to spread personal attacks on the family at the centre of the recent community transmissions and conspiracy theories around COVID-19.

Under Level 2.5, all social gatherings including birthday parties will be limited to ten people; masks will be mandatory for all Aucklanders using public transportation; and aged care facilities will be operating under strict conditions.

[12][178] On 28 October, Newsroom journalist Marc Daalder reported that Cabinet had been aware of the lack of capacity for testing staff working at managed isolation and quarantine (MIQ) facilities, airports, and ports prior to the August outbreak.

[13] That same day, Ardern ruled out raising Christchurch's alert level following the detection of a new community transmission linked to a managed isolation facility hosting Russian and Ukrainian fishermen, stating that the Government's systems were adequate.

[201] On 28 February, the Government placed Auckland under an Alert Level 3 lockdown for the next seven days after the older sibling of a Papatoetoe High School casual plus contact tested positive for COVID-19.

[207] On 1 April, the Government confirmed that it would loosen rules for securing emergency spots in managed isolation; with the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) stating that 100 more places in MIQ will be available each fortnight.

[214] On 23 April, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins announced the creation of a new category of "very high risk" countries including India, Brazil, Pakistan, and Papua New Guinea.

[216] In early March, the New Zealand High Commission in India drew criticism and media attention after they tweeted a request to the youth wing of the opposition Indian National Congress party seeking an oxygen tank.

[235] On 23 July, Ardern confirmed that the transtasman travel bubble with Australia would be suspended from 11:59 pm that night for eight weeks due to the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant in several Australian cities and states.

The Government has also given the Inland Revenue Department (IRD) discretion to give businesses extra time to pay provisional tax payments due to the August community outbreak.

[256] In late August, Speaker Trevor Mallard confirmed that Parliament would continue meeting under Alert Level 4 conditions with only ten MPs and a small number of staff attending the debating chamber.

That same day, Ardern unveiled the Government's three-stage strategy to move Auckland out of lockdown, which involved a gradual relaxation of restrictions on physical gatherings and economic activities subject to mask-wearing and social distancing requirements.

[278] On 2 November, COVID-19 Response Minister Hipkins placed the northern part of the Northland Region under an Alert Level 3 lockdown after authorities were unable to find any epidemiological links for two community cases.

[21] On 27 November, the Government imposed travel restrictions on South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Lesotho, Eswatini, Seychelles, Malawi and Mozambique in response to the spread of the Omicron variant.

While health economist Professor Paula Lorgelly expressed disappointment with the suspension, she said that she understood the Government's decision, describing it as "a short-term pain for what I perceive to be quite a long-term gain.

[296][297] On 23 January, the Government moved New Zealand into the red traffic light setting at 11:59 pm that night in response to recent community cases of the Omicron variant in the Nelson, New Zealand–Marlborough Region.

In response, several private companies and representative bodies including the Health Works Group, the Food and Grocery Council, and InScience criticised the Government for allegedly commandeering their orders.

[307][308] On 25 February, Hipkins announced that unvaccinated children and teenagers would be allowed to participate in school sports and extracurricular activities under phase 3 of the country's Omicron response plan.

[319] That same day, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment confirmed that the country's four remaining MIQ facilities in Auckland and Christchurch would close by August 2022 due to the low number of people using them.

The Government however opted to retain the Act's provisions for seven-day isolation periods, mask use and border entry requirements until Parliament passed newer, general pandemic legislation.

In early July 2023, Christchurch millionaires and philanthropists Grant and Marilyn Nelson organised a petition urging the Ministry to recover COVID-19 wage subsidies, which attracted about 10,000 signatures.

[346] On 2 February 2024, Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke Van Velden confirmed that the National-led coalition government would expand the scope of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into COVID-19 Lessons Learned.