2020 in New Zealand

The following lists events that happened during 2020 in New Zealand. One overarching event is the COVID-19 pandemic.

2020
in
New Zealand
Decades:
See also:

Incumbents

Regal and vice-regal

Government

Legislature term: 52nd New Zealand Parliament and from November 2020, 53rd New Zealand Parliament.

The Sixth Labour Government, elected in 2017 and October 2020, continues.

Other party leaders in parliament

Judiciary

Main centre leaders

Events

January

February

  • 3 February – A state of emergency is declared in Milford Sound as rain and flooding hit the region.[5]
  • 5 February – Residents of Gore, Mataura and Wyndham are ordered to evacuate as the Mataura River bursts its banks.[6]
  • 28 February
    • COVID-19 in New Zealand: New Zealand's first case of the coronavirus is confirmed. They had recently returned from Iran via Bali.[7]
    • Kiwibank stops issuing and accepting cheques as payment, becoming the first New Zealand bank to do so.[8]

March

  • 5 March – COVID-19 in New Zealand: Information of the first human transmission case of the coronavirus within New Zealand is released.[9]
  • 14 March – COVID-19 in New Zealand: Jacinda Ardern announces new measures to stop the spread of the coronavirus. These measures provide that all people (excluding people who have come from Pacific islands where no cases have been confirmed) who arrive in New Zealand must self-isolate for 14 days. Cruise ships are also banned from docking in New Zealand ports.[10]
  • 17 March – COVID-19 in New Zealand: A $12.1 billion scheme is announced by the government, due to the economic impact of coronavirus on New Zealand, including $5.1 billion for an income subsidy. This is the biggest peacetime government spend in history.[11]
  • 19 March – COVID-19 in New Zealand: The Royal New Zealand Returned and Services' Association announces that all Anzac Day services, scheduled for 25 April, will be cancelled and the red poppy collection postponed due to the health risk. This is the first time that Anzac Day services have not been held since 1916.[12]
  • 21 March – COVID-19 in New Zealand: Ardern announces the COVID-19 alert level system, with New Zealand initially being placed at alert level 2.[13]
  • 23 March – COVID-19 in New Zealand: New Zealand is placed at alert level 3.[14]
  • 25 March
    • COVID-19 in New Zealand: A State of National Emergency is declared in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.[15]
    • COVID-19 in New Zealand: New Zealand is upgraded to alert level 4 at 11:59 pm, and the country enters lockdown for a period of at least four weeks.[16][17]
  • 26 March – The perpetrator of the 2019 Christchurch mosque shootings pleads guilty to all 51 murder charges, as well as 40 charges of attempted murder and one charge of engaging in a terrorist act laid under the Terrorism Suppression Act 2002.[18]
  • 29 March – COVID-19 in New Zealand: The first coronavirus-related death in New Zealand occurs, a woman in her 70s from Greymouth.[19]

April

May

June

July

August

  • 11 August – COVID-19 in New Zealand: Four new cases of COVID-19 outside of a quarantine facility are reported.[38]
  • 12 August
    • COVID-19 in New Zealand: At noon, Auckland enters alert level 3, while the rest of the country enters alert level 2.[38]
    • The dissolution of Parliament, originally set for this day, is delayed until 17 August.[39]
  • 17 August

September

  • 4 September – COVID-19 in New Zealand: The first death from COVID-19 since 28 May is reported.[42]
  • 6 September – The 52nd New Zealand Parliament is dissolved.[43]
  • 29 September – Two people are charged over the New Zealand First Foundation investigation.[44]

October

November

  • 9 November – A state of emergency is declared in Napier due to flooding.[47]

December

Holidays and observances

Public holidays in New Zealand in 2020 are as follows:[54]

Sports

Sailing

Shooting

  • Ballinger Belt –
    • David Black (Australia)
    • Allan White (Malvern), second, top New Zealander[56]

Winter Youth Olympics

 Gold  Silver  BronzeTotal
0011

Deaths

Deaths
January · February · March · April · May · June · July · August · September · October · November · December

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

References