Tony Blakely: Outgoing Head of the Covid Inquiry on the findings of phase 1

The outgoing head of the Covid inquiry has found vaccine mandates caused huge pain to a "substantial minority” during the pandemic. 

Tony Blakely says the Government should look at whether their benefits outweighed the harm they caused. 

Blakely will deliver the report from the first phase of the Royal Commission of Inquiry to Internal Affairs Minister Brook van Velden today, but the Government may not release it until next year. 

He says New Zealand did well, although mistakes were made. 

Blakely describes the response as a game of two halves, with New Zealand doing well in the first year, and less so after that – which isn't surprising given the length of the pandemic. 

He says there’s still work to be done after their comprehensive investigations.  

Blakely told Mike Hosking they've done about 80% of the work, with incoming Chair Grant Illingworth's team coming in to do the next 20%.  

He says they may uncover new findings on topics they look at more in depth, such as mandates and vaccine harm. 

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