The second phase of the Covid Inquiry starts today, with vaccine mandates proving to be a hot topic.  

The hearings will be held in Auckland, available to watch online and will be chaired by KC Grant Illingworth.  

Phase two is focused on aspects of the Covid response like vaccine mandates, the approval process and vaccine safety. 

Illingworth told Heather du Plessis Allan that there are 31-thousand submissions, with a fair chunk focused on the mandates. 

He says there's a number of people who think the mandates protected them, and many others who have an opposite view.