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New Zealand’s COVID-19 response
Globally, Aotearoa New Zealand’s COVID-19 response is regarded as a success.
Over the course of the pandemic, our strategy shifted from elimination, to minimisation, to protection. This was to make sure our response met the challenges of the changing virus.
Timeline of COVID-19 events
This timeline captures significant COVID-19 events and the coordinated government response between January 2020 and October 2022.
Timeline of COVID-19 events (PDF, 264 KB)
Strategic Framework for Managing COVID-19
The Aotearoa New Zealand Strategic Framework for Managing COVID-19 was published in August 2023.
The framework outlines how New Zealand can strengthen its preparedness for future pandemics. It also outlines how we can apply lessons learned between 2020 and 2023 into ad sustainable approach to managing COVID-19.
The Strategic Framework:
- sets a ‘business as usual’ course for the management of COVID-19
- highlights the need to continue to protect vulnerable communities
- keeps the ability to rapidly scale New Zealand’s response if a new variant of concern emerges, or a previous variant of concern re-emerges.
Aotearoa New Zealand Strategic Framework for Managing COVID-19
COVID-19 strategies replaced by the Strategic Framework
The Strategic Framework for Managing COVID-19 replaces previous COVID-19 strategies, including:
- COVID-19 Protection Framework
- Elimination Strategy for Aotearoa New Zealand
- Aotearoa New Zealand Strategic Framework for COVID-19 Variants of Concern
- COVID-19 All of Government National Management Plan.
Previous COVID-19 strategies
COVID-19 Protection Framework
The COVID-19 Protection Framework introduced the traffic light system. It replaced the Elimination Strategy and Alert Level Framework on 2 December 2021 and ended on 26 September 2022.
When the Protection Framework was introduced, Omicron had replaced the more severe Delta variant. High vaccination rates meant most of the population were protected against the risk of severe illness or death from infection.
Because of the extra protection afforded by vaccination, New Zealand could move from a focus on elimination to a minimise and protect strategy.
The traffic light system enabled management of cases in the community at red, orange and green settings to help protect people and address any undue pressure on the health system.
Elimination Strategy for Aotearoa New Zealand
The Elimination Strategy was New Zealand’s initial response to the COVID-19 pandemic. It came into effect in March 2020 and was replaced by the COVID-19 Protection Framework in December 2021.
The Elimination Strategy was an important approach to a continually evolving virus and to keeping New Zealanders safe from COVID-19. It was supported by the Alert Level Framework.
Under the strategy, all activities focused on getting to and maintaining ‘zero COVID-19’. This was vital when treatments and effective vaccinations were unavailable.
The Elimination Strategy allowed New Zealanders to maintain freedoms and a quality of life in the face of COVID-19 that few other countries enjoyed.
For reference, the COVID-19 Elimination Strategy diagram is available to download. It is not current policy.
