Five years since the first lockdown: Are we doing enough to prepare for the next pandemic?

At 11:59pm on March 25th 2020, New Zealand entered its first level four Covid –19 lockdown. 

To many, that moment may feel like it happened just yesterday, while others are glad its firmly in the past.

Whatever your feelings are about New Zealand’s response to the Covid pandemic, that first lockdown was a life altering event for many of us.

Five years on, did it change us for the better, or did it kickstart something else entirely?

University of Otago epidemiologist Michael Baker became a household name overnight for his commentary during the pandemic.

He joins us today on The Front Page to look back on the start of the pandemic, and forwards towards the next one.

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You can read more about this and other stories in the New Zealand Herald, online at nzherald.co.nz, or tune in to news bulletins across the NZME network.

Host: Chelsea Daniels
Sound Engineer/Producer: Richard Martin
Producer: Ethan Sills

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