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Five years ago, on March 25, 2020, New Zealand entered its first nationwide lockdown in response to the emerging COVID-19 pandemic.
This marked a historic moment for the nation of five million, as then-Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced a strict Alert Level 4 lockdown, urging citizens to stay home and act swiftly to prevent the virus from taking hold as it had overseas.
At that point, New Zealand had just 102 confirmed cases and no deaths, yet the governmentβs decision to "go hard and go early" set the tone for what would become one of the worldβs most celebrated pandemic responses.
Five years on, itβs worth reflecting on that pivotal time, its impacts, and how it reshaped the nation.
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The initial lockdown, which lasted until April 27, 2020, was a bold move rooted in an elimination strategy rather than the mitigation approaches adopted by many Western countries.
Schools closed, non-essential businesses shuttered, and borders slammed shut, with returning citizens required to quarantine.
The streets of Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch fell eerily silent, a stark contrast to their usual vibrancy.
New Zealanders rallied behind the βteam of five millionβ ethos, adhering to restrictions with remarkable unity.
By June 2020, the country celebrated 102 days without community transmission, a feat that allowed life to resume with a semblance of normalcy while much of the world remained gripped by the virus.
Newspaper cartoon outlining Aotearoa's succesful approach of the global pandemic. file: π π―π²π π’ ππ©ππ¦π«π’
This early success came at a cost but delivered undeniable benefits.
The strict measures kept case numbers lowβby December 2020, New Zealand had recorded just over 2,000 cases and 25 deaths, one of the lowest per capita death rates globally.
A 2023 New Zealand Medical Journal study estimated that these restrictions saved around 20,000 lives compared to less aggressive approaches elsewhere.
Economically, the nation rebounded faster than many peers, with GDP growth returning to pre-pandemic levels by early 2021, bolstered by a $50 billion Response and Recovery Fund that included wage subsidies covering 59% of the workforce.
The elimination strategy, as Professor Michael Baker later noted, offered a clear exit path, avoiding the prolonged uncertainty of suppression or herd immunity tactics.
Yet, the lockdowns were not without challenges. The tourism sector, which accounted for 5.8% of GDP, suffered as international visitors vanished, and domestic travel couldnβt fully compensate.
Education faced disruptions, with school closures contributing to a surge in truancy rates in subsequent years.
Mental health concerns grew, particularly among youth, with the Mental Health Commission warning of a crisis in 2022.
Social cohesion, initially strengthened, frayed over time as vaccine mandates and further lockdowns in 2021βespecially in Auckland and Northlandβsparked protests and an occupation of Parliament grounds.
Trust in institutions, including government and media, declined, as reflected in Stats NZβs 2023 wellbeing data.
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Five years later, the legacy of those lockdowns lingers.
COVID-19 remains endemic, with Health New Zealand reporting 4,585 deaths and 2.7 million recovered cases by early 2025.
Long COVID affects 4-14% of survivors, its full impact still unfolding. Inflation, recession, and rising child povertyβup to 13.4% in 2024βtrace back to pandemic-era disruptions.
Violent crime and gang activity have spiked, adding to a sense that, as French novelist Michel Houellebecq predicted, the world post-COVID is βthe same but worse.β
Yet, New Zealandβs early decisiveness stands out. It bought time, saved lives, and offered a blueprint for crisis responseβone that, despite its imperfections, remains a point of pride and a subject of ongoing debate as the nation navigates its post-pandemic identity.
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