FLYNN NICHOLLS asked people on the street how they feel about the end of a pandemic era.
Savannah Harford
I didn’t even know the restrictions had been lifted, to be honest. I’m a gamer, so I loved the lockdown. Nobody came over; I got to stay home and game as much as I wanted.
Robert McGahan
The pandemic affected everybody in different ways. My wife’s a nurse, and she worked right through, but she never got covid, fortunately. The government didn’t know what was happening at first, and although the restrictions were a pain in lots of ways, we accepted it.
Karen Lapslie
It’s time now that we got back to normal. People can still wear masks if they’d like to: Elderly people, people with babies. But with the world in such a state, we have to do what we can to relieve a bit of anxiety. If I had young children, I think I’d turn the news off these days. I’m relieved the restrictions are over.
Susan Funnell
There are still people in hospital with covid across New Zealand. I think the government probably should have waited until spring to lift the restrictions, with winter bugs still going around. I’d say it’s probably a political decision ahead of the election in October.
Noel Booth
I’d say the restrictions were slightly overboard. The government was spending miles too much money, paying people to stay home instead of working. That’s got to be paid for sooner or later.
Chris Rust
I’m glad to be coming out the other end of the covid pandemic. In hindsight, the government’s reaction was probably more heavy-handed than it needed to be. But hindsight is 20-20, and they were working with the best information they had at the time. I guess the question is whether that information was accurate; that’s the other thing.
Stuart Watts
I think the restrictions can go now. But people should still probably stay home if they have bloody covid! It’s just like the flu, really. I’m retired, so the lockdown didn’t bother me a bit.
Caroline Percy
Getting rid of the restrictions is a bit silly. Covid is still around: People should still stay home if they get it, and they should still be wearing masks at medical centres. Not having these rules, it’s likely to spread again. It’s winter time. I think we were so bloody lucky with the pandemic, being isolated, and with the government’s response.
David Hutchings
The government’s response to the pandemic wasn’t too bad. They learnt a lot. Most of the restrictions people did away with a while ago now. Nobody really bothered wearing a mask at the chemist. The only time it affected me was at the hospital or the medical centre.
Caleb Kloeg
It’s great that it’s ending, but we do need to have an open discussion about the past two years. New Zealand is very good at brushing things off, sweeping things under the carpet. The restrictions have had an effect on everyone: the vaccinated, the unvaccinated – people have been mentally and physically affected. Did the government overreact?
