Ardern detailed the expansion of the special award - which was flagged for MIQ workers earlier this year - to all frontline workers as part of the 2023 New Years Honours today.
“All New Zealanders, at home and abroad, played a part in our successful response to Covid-19, and I thank them for that. But we also want to acknowledge those New Zealanders whose roles were particularly critical,” Ardern said.
“Their efforts were vital to our national response, and this award is one way we can recognise and thank them for stepping up during our most challenging days.”
The additional recipients of the award, alongside the MIQ workers, will be the border, testing, contact-tracing and vaccination workforces, and the doctors and nurses who cared for patients with Covid-19.
“The award has been designed to be in keeping with the likes of military service, and takes the form of a lapel pin with up to 80,000 pins to be given to individuals in the workforce groups identified,” Ardern said.
“Collectively these individuals made an enormous contribution, whether it was through containing and stamping out Covid-19, putting protections in place to keep people safe, or caring for those who caught the virus.
“They stepped up, often at great personal risk and sacrifice, and we owe them a debt of gratitude for carrying that burden on behalf of us all.”
Distribution of the individual awards will begin in late January 2023.
There will also be an organisational award to recognise the collective efforts of people working for non-governmental organisations that provided social service support as part of the national Covid-19 response.
“Many organisations and iwi provided services that helped people to stay safe and healthy during periods of lockdown or self-isolation, particularly vulnerable and marginalised communities,” Ardern said.
The total New Zealand deaths attributed to Covid-19 as of December 28 sits at 2331, which remains one of the lowest death rates from the virus internationally.
Alongside the front line workers recognised today were several individual New Year Honours for Covid-19 medical professionals - including former director general of health Dr Ashley Bloomfield, who has been knighted.
