Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand

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The COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand has had far-reaching consequences on the country that went beyond the spread of the disease itself and efforts to eliminate it, including education, faith communities, Māori, mass gatherings, sports, and recreation.

Education sector responses[edit]

Primary and secondary schools[edit]

On 17 March 2020, Logan Park High School in Dunedin closed for 48 hours after one of its students tested positive for the coronavirus.[1][2]

On 23 March, several schools in Auckland including Marist College, Randwick Park School and Glendowie College closed after several teachers and parents tested positive for the coronavirus.[3][4] That same day, the Teaching Council of Aotearoa New Zealand called on the Government to shut down all schools immediately.[5] In response to a spike of cases and the upgrading of New Zealand's coronavirus Alert Level to Level 3, the Government closed down all schools and early childhood centres.[6]

On 13 May, Education Minister Chris Hipkins announced that the end-of-year high school National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) external exams would be postponed from 6 to 16 November 2020.[7]

On 26 August, Auckland's Secondary Principals' Association announced that secondary schools were planning catch-up classes and holiday lessons for students whose education had been affected by the city's lockdown.[8]

On 8 September, St Dominic's Catholic College in Auckland's Henderson suburb announced that it would shut down for a "deep clean" for three days after it was reported that a student tested positive for COVID-19 that same day.[9]

On 16 September, Chapel Downs Primary School in Auckland's Manukau suburb closed for the rest of the week after a student tested positive for COVID-19.[10]

On 9 November, Otorohanga College closed down its hostel after health authorities confirmed that a traveller from Wellington who had tested positive for COVID-19 had visited the facility while travelling through Otorohanga and Kawhia in the Waikato region.[11]

In mid-February 2021, Papatoetoe High School in Auckland's Papatoetoe suburb closed after a Year 9 student was identified as one among three new community cases. In addition, five teachers and 28 students at the school were identified as close contacts of the infected student while all other students and staff at the school were considered "casual" contacts.[12] By 17 February, two more Papatoetoe students had tested positive for COVID-19, with the younger sibling being a close contact of the index case.[13]

Universities and tertiary providers[edit]

On 17 March 2020, the University of Canterbury became the first university in New Zealand to recall its exchange students from overseas, stating that "Given the rapidly escalating global situation and the increasing amount of travel restrictions worldwide, and intensive consultation with our partners, [we have] made the very difficult decision to suspend our exchange programmes and recall all UC outbound exchange students, effective immediately."[14]

On 20 March, Massey University stopped face-to-face teaching of courses that could be taught by distance.[15] The University of Auckland suspended classes for the week of 23–27 March to allow staff to prepare for remote teaching in the event of a partial campus closure.[16][15] The University of Otago in Dunedin has also shifted classes with more than 100 students online while students at the University of Canterbury have petitioned for all classes to be moved online.[17]

On 21 March, Auckland University of Technology announced that it would be suspending teaching in response to a petition from students.[18] The University of Canterbury also announced they could move to online learning.[19] On 23 March, all universities suspended physical lectures and shifted to online learning in response to the Government's imposition of an Alert level 3 lockdown.[6]

On 14 April, the Government released a tertiary support package but it was considered unsatisfactory by tertiary students and student associations.[20][21] Several university halls of residence including Victoria University of Wellington and the University of Otago were criticised for continuing to charge rent from students, who had left their accommodation during the lockdown to isolate with their families.[22][23] Other universities like the University of Waikato waived rent for unused accommodation.[24] Green Party MP Chlöe Swarbrick criticised these universities' practices and successfully lobbied for a parliamentary inquiry into student accommodation.[25]

In September 2020, the University of Auckland Vice-Chancellor Dawn Freshwater announced plans to resume on-campus teaching on 21 September. Following criticism from Director-General Bloomfield and students, the University retracted its decision and delayed plans to resume on-campus teaching until 5 October 2020.[26][27]

On 12 October 2020, the Education Minister Chris Hipkins announced that the Government would be introducing a new border exemption allowing 250 international PhD and postgraduate students to enter New Zealand. These students will undergo the two-week mandatory quarantine.[28]

On 11 November, the New Zealand Police confirmed that they were investigating an anonymous post on the controversial social media platform 8Chan by an individual claiming that they were seeking to deliberately spread COVID-19 among students taking their final year exams at the University of Auckland.[29]

On 12 November, the University of Auckland shifted all exams at its Auckland Central campuses (City, Grafton, Newmarket, and Epsom) scheduled for Friday online following the discovery of a community transmission in the city centre.[30]

On 25 February 2021, the University of Otago in Dunedin called on returning students from Auckland to self-isolate in response to the Auckland February community outbreak. 650 first-year students had arrived in Dunedin for the start of the academic year.[31]

Faith communities' responses[edit]

In mid-March 2020, several faith communities and denominations including the Catholic Church, the Supreme Sikh Society, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and LIFE church announced that they would be cancelling or reducing large gatherings and taking more health precautions in response to the Government's ban on gatherings with more than 100 people. However, Bishop Brian Tamaki's Destiny Church initially refused to close their services, with Tamaki stating that they would not let a "filthy virus" scare them out of attending church.[32] In response, infectious diseases expert Dr Siouxsie Wiles criticised Bishop Tamaki for undermining efforts to keep New Zealanders safe.[33]

Smaller congregations like Elim Church and C3 Church in Marlborough have halved services in order to comply with the Government's ban on gatherings with more than 100 people while the Nativity Church has set up networks to support parishioners.[34]

On 20 March, the New Zealand Catholic Bishops' Conference declared that all public Masses would be suspended for the foreseeable future. This decision was made in line with the government's decision to cancel mass indoor events with more than 100 people.[35]

On 29 March, it was reported that members of the exclusive Gloriavale Christian Community were not complying with lockdown measures and that daycare centres, schools, and meetings were still ongoing. The police have since announced that they are working with Gloriavale to make sure that its members abided with lockdown restrictions.[36]

In late March 2020, there were reports that members of the Muslim community in New Zealand were having trouble accessing halal food due to the closure of butcheries, which were not deemed an "essential service" under Alert Level 4.[37][38][39]

Under the Government's Alert Level 2 restrictions which came into force on 14 May, religious gatherings have been limited to ten persons despite the Government stating that they could have a 100-person limit. The Federation of Islamic Associations of New Zealand (FIANZ) issued a press release that New Zealand Muslims would be unable to hold their Eid prayers at mosques and community centers due to the ten person limit on private gatherings.[40] The Catholic bishops of New Zealand have expressed disappointment with the ten-person limit, describing the measures as too restrictive.[41] Meanwhile, Bishop Tamaki of Destiny Church has announced that his movement would be holding services in defiance of Level 2 lockdown restrictions.[42][43] The New Zealand Muslim Association President Ikhlaq Kashkari has expressed disappointment that the ten person limit will prevent mosques from gathering for Ramadan. The Minister of Commoners Weslyan Methodist Community Reverend Frank Ritchie has also criticised the perceived double standard towards faith communities.[44]

On 25 May, the Government raised the limit on religious services from ten to 100 persons, allowing many faith communities to resume mass gatherings.[45][46][47]

On 29 August, 1 News reported that several members of Mount Roskill Evangelical Fellowship Church had continued to meet privately despite the Level 3 lockdown that had come into force in the Auckland Region between 12 and 30 August.[48] Health authorities had earlier identified the church as a sub-cluster of the Auckland August cluster.[49] On 31 August, Health Minister Chris Hipkins announced that health authorities were investigating claims that the church held meetings during Auckland's Alert Level 3 restrictions. Microbiologist Siouxsie Wiles also said that genome sequencing would be used to prove whether cases at the church were linked to the Auckland cluster. 15 COVID-19 cases have been linked to the Mt Roskill church sub-cluster.[50]

On 10 September, several Christian leaders including Pacific Response Coordination Team chairman Pakilau Manase Lua and Wesleyan Methodist minister Frank Ritchie expressed concern about misinformation relating to COVID-19 circulating among New Zealand congregants attending churches with links to conservative evangelical and Pentecostal churches in the United States.[51]

Māori responses[edit]

A Wellington iwi placed a taupāruru (restriction) on the practice of hongi, a traditional Māori greeting, in response to the outbreak.[52]

On 24 March, former Tai Tokerau Member of Parliament Hone Harawira announced that local iwi in the Far North were working with local authorities and Mayor of Far North John Carter to set up roadblocks to prevent foreign tourists from travelling into the area. Tourists in the area would be encouraged to leave the Far North. Roadblocks were set up at State Highway 1 at Whakapara and State Highway 12 at Waipoua. Harawira criticised the Government for not stopping tourists from entering the country prior to the border closure.[53] By 26 March, at least three groups of tourists had been stopped from entering the Far North. A testing centre was also set up at Waiomio Hill to test locals returning from overseas.[54] Having set up illegal road blocks to stop people from bringing the virus into the Far North, Hone Harawira broke Level 4 Lockdown restrictions to make a 600 km round trip to Auckland, then a virus hot spot, on 12 April. Harawira claimed that the purpose of the trip was to obtain medical supplies and visiting his sister was unimportant.[55]

Similar measures were put in place on the East Cape area of the North Island.[56] In April, there were reports that iwi checkpoints in the central North Island, East Coast, and Northland were obstructing essential travel by local residents. National Member of Parliament for Northland Matt King said that constituents had complained about being verbally abused and spat upon at iwi checkpoints in Northland.[57][58] In response, Police Minister Stuart Nash warned that the police would take action against "illegal" checkpoints that had been set up without police support while allowing checkpoints in remote towns as long as they had the support of the local police and community.[57]

In early May 2020, Newshub reported that the iwi Te Whānau-ā-Apanui in the eastern Bay of Plenty region had been operating an unauthorised travel permit system to protect the region's elderly population, horticulture, and agricultural industries. This included a requirement for essential workers to provide a letter from the Ministry for Primary Industries proving that their travel complied with lockdown rules, which were eased when Alert Level 4 came to an end on 28 April. On 6 May, the New Zealand Police clarified that community road block operators in the Bay of Plenty did not have the authority to turn away New Zealanders lacking the necessary travel documents.[59][60]

On 26 January 2021, members of a Northland iwi including Reuben Taipari and Hone Harawira established a Tai Tokerau Border Control in response to a recent community transmission in the region.[61] The checkpoint's purpose was to educate visitors and travellers about COVID-19 including the South African strain. On 28 January, the police shut down the checkpoint on the grounds that there was no official requirement for it. In response, Harawira criticised the lack of COVID-19 testing facilities north of Whangarei over the long weekend and advocated the cancellation of the Waitangi Day public festivities scheduled for 8 February.[62]

Mass gatherings and protests[edit]

On 19 March 2020, the Royal New Zealand Returned and Services' Association announced that all Anzac Day services, scheduled for 25 April, would be cancelled and the red poppy collection postponed due to the health risk. This was the first time that Anzac Day services have not been held since 1916.[63]

Following a spate of community cases in Auckland in mid-February 2021, Napier's Art Deco Festival and Auckland's Gay Pride parade were cancelled. Auckland's Splore festival was postponed to 26-28 March 2021.[64]

George Floyd protests[edit]

On 1 June, Black Lives Matter (BLM) solidarity protests were held in several major centres including Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin, Tauranga, Palmerston North and Hamilton in response to the killing of George Floyd, which had sparked a wave of protests and riots in the United States and around the world. 4,000 people attended the Auckland rally alone, which saw participants marching from Aotea Square down Queen Street to the American Consulate General. In Wellington, hundreds gathered outside Parliament. According to media reports, there was little social distancing due to the large volume of participants.[65][66][67][68][69]

Microbiologist and health adviser Dr. Siouxsie Wiles, Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters, and ACT Party leader David Seymour have criticised march participants for flouting Level 2 lockdown restrictions. Dr Wiles called for people who attended the BLM marches and gatherings to self-isolate for 14 days. Peters and Seymour criticised participants for violating Alert Level 2 lockdown restrictions and undermining efforts to eliminate COVID-19, while calling on the Government to move towards Alert Level 1.[70][71] Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has criticised protesters for violating Level 2 restrictions in the midst of a global pandemic, while expressing sympathy for George Floyd.[72][73] Police Minister Stuart Nash also indicated that New Zealand Police are not seeking to prosecute protesters while expressing disappointment that social distancing rules had been flouted.[74] Opposition Leader Todd Muller has criticised the Government for sending mixed messages about COVID-19 alert levels, alleging that they caused the public to become complacent about social distancing, citing the BLM rallies as an example.[75]

In response, Christchurch BLM protest organiser Will Hunter defended his decision to hold the rally, which attracted 700 people. He also said that he and his fellow organisers had urged participants to take health precautions including wearing gloves, masks, social distancing and staying at home if sick.[76]

Anti-lockdown protests[edit]

On 13 August 2020, 60 protesters from two groups, FACTS NZ and the Kotahitanga Movement Aotearoa, held a protest march against the Government's COVID-19 lockdown in Whangārei. The participants included New Zealand Public Party leader Billy Te Kahika.[77]

On 22 August 100 anti-lockdown protesters peacefully demonstrated in Auckland's Queen Street. The protest was organised by the NZ Liberty March with several not wearing masks, criticising the Government's lockdown policy and making "health claims" about COVID-19.[78][79]

On 29 August, hundreds of anti-lockdown protesters gathered in Auckland's Queen Street. This "liberty march" was attended by Advance New Zealand party co-leader Jami-Lee Ross and New Conservative Party deputy leader Elliot Ikilei. Several attendees claimed that the COVID-19 pandemic had been planned and opposed the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals. This protest breached the Alert Level 3 restrictions on mass gatherings in Auckland.[80]

On 5 September, several anti-lockdown protests were held throughout the country including Auckland, Whangārei, Wellington, New Plymouth, Tauranga, Rotorua, Nelson and Christchurch.[81]

On 12 September, the Advance NZ party and Liberty March movement staged a "National Rally for Freedom" in Auckland's Aotea Square which was attended by thousands of people, including Advanced NZ party co-leaders Te Kahika and Ross. This protest breached Auckland's Alert Level 2.5 ban on gatherings of more than ten persons.[82][83][84]

On 10 October, the Advance NZ party led by MP Ross staged a "Rally for your Future" in Auckland's Aotea Square. The NZ Liberty Movement, which had previously organised rallies with Advance NZ, did not participate due to a lack of communication and collaboration with the latter.[85]

Migrants[edit]

In March 2021, it was reported that the New Zealand Immigration and Protection Tribunal had rejected a Filipino family's appeal against a deportation notice. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the father had used false addresses to claim $1,600 worth of food vouchers in order to feed his family due to their difficult financial situation.[86] In mid April 2021, the Philippines Embassy appealed to Immigration New Zealand to reconsider the deportation order and also lodged a formal complaint with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.[87]

Pacific communities[edit]

In response to the Auckland February community outbreak in late February 2021, Left-wing blogger Martyn "Bomber" Bradbury has advocated that the Government declare an amnesty for overstayers and provide compensation payments to people unable to work from home in order to help the Pacific Islander communities in South Auckland.[88]

Sports and recreation[edit]

Following the implementation of stronger border controls, SANZAAR announced on 14 March 2020 that it would suspend play of its Super Rugby season (which features five New Zealand teams) following the conclusion of that weekend's matches.[89]

On 15 March, it was announced that the Warbirds Over Wanaka 2020 airshow was cancelled due to the Government's response to the pandemic.[90] This was the first time in the biennial event's history that it had been cancelled.[citation needed]

On 15 February 2021, the Halberg Awards celebrating New Zealand sports champions from the past decade was postponed due to Auckland shifting to Alert Level 3 as a result of three community transmissions detected in Papatoetoe the previous day.[91]

Notes and references[edit]

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