COVID-19’s missing heroes: Nurses’ contribution and visibility in Aotearoa New Zealand

Although COVID-19 caught almost all countries unprepared, each country has responded differently to a novel virus that has now caused the death of over five million people worldwide (Johns Hopkins University & Medicine, 2021). Prior to the Delta outbreak (August 2021), the strategy adopted by the government of Aotearoa New Zealand was elimination. This strategy effectively eliminated COVID-19 twice from the community (Stockman, 2021), leading to fewer restrictions and less impact from COVID-19 than has been seen in other countries. The message of ‘go hard, go early’, which encapsulated the goal of elimination, resonated worldwide for its success, and Aotearoa New Zealand became the envy of the world. Many of my own friends and family overseas would tell me, without prompting, that they would rather be here in Aotearoa New Zealand during this pandemic.