The next govt will be a National govt...

[harm_less]

In terms of lives saved, as against the result of letting covid run rampant, then the cost was always going to be worthwhile...  But yes, now comes the inevitable aftermath and trial by public opinion, otherwise known as a general election

I personally know people who have suffered depression due to almost loosing their business and are near suicide.
All for a virus that has a mortality rate well under 1% in most developed countries.
The social cost is far worse and is still going to hurt us years into the future.
The countries that let it run rampant have gotten over it much earlier and couldnt care less anymore.

The US was probably one of the countries that suffered the greatest loss of life and economic health by letting COVID19 "run rampant" and they are now implementing economic measures to solve the results of that approach which is shaking other country's economic situations severely. NZ and many other countries are looking down the barrel of massive inflationary pressures due to the US's poor management of the last few years' events. We are far from being over the effects of COVID19 on many fronts (e.g. long COVID, struggling businesses, lifestyle changes) but at least our own government implemented measures that drastically limited the immediate health impacts of COVID19.

Imagine for a moment that we had suffered a 1% mortality rate. That's 50,000 lives. Are you really suggesting that we would be in a better situation if NZ had taken the largely uncontrolled approach that some countries did? Really!?