Social response to COVID-19 in New Zealand: Obligations and stigmatisation

The proposed research will investigate the social response to the presence of COVID-19 in New Zealand. It is two-fold. Firstly, the research will explore the quarantine and isolation practices and experience of individuals and communities at risk to identify the strength and/or vulnerability of NZ when dealing with quarantine and management measures. This phase of the research will provide practical benefits to help establish a robust system to better deal with a possible global infectious disease outbreak in the future. Secondly, the research will focus on disease-related risk perceptions, communication and reactions among identified communities at risk and the NZ general population. This phase of the research will address the social, cultural, political and racial dimensions that shape the NZ public's attitude towards the outbreak of pandemic diseases, which has significant implications for the success of building cultural solidarity to battle severe infectious diseases