Te Whanganui-a-Tara – Professor Tony Blakely, chair of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into lessons learned from the covid pandemic, today sets out key aspects of the inquiry and will look at a national response to future pandemics.
Professor Blakely will indicate how and when members of the public will be able to provide direct input to the Inquiry.
The focus for the inquiry to date has been on identifying, sourcing and reviewing publicly available information.
From now, the commission will be progressively meeting and engaging with a wide range of organisations and institutions including community groups and NGOs, Iwi and Māori organisations, business associations, academics and researchers, international organisations, and government agencies.
In December last year, the government announced the appointment of a Royal Commission of Inquiry to look at the lessons learned from Aotearoa New Zealand’s response to covid that should be applied in preparation for any future pandemic.
The Royal Commission is led by commissioners Professor Blakely (chair), Hekia Parata, and John Whitehead and supported by a secretariat.
The government has set the terms of reference for the overall Inquiry, including outlining our primary focus and providing guidance in terms of operation and procedures to follow.
The Ministry of Health says 3117 Kiwis died during the pandemic. Their deaths are attributed to covid.
