Thank you for your request for official information.

The reference number for your request is H202000917.
As required under the Act, you can expect a response on or before 26 March
2020.

OIA Services
Government Services
Office of the Director-General
Ministry of Health
E: [email address]

From:        "Lachlan Patterson"
<[FOI #12324 email]>
To:        "OIA/LGOIMA requests at Ministry of Health"
<[Ministry of Health request email]>,
Date:        27/02/2020 02:31 p.m.
Subject:        Official Information request - Documents relating to WHO
advice on COVID-19 travel ban.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Ministry of Health,

I am writing under the Official Information Act to request any documents
that include the advice of the World Health Organisation regarding the
COVID-19 travel ban on people travelling from China, and any consideration
of that advice.

Yours faithfully,
Lachlan Patterson

-------------------------------------------------------------------

This is an Official Information request made via the FYI website.

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FOI #12324 email]

Is [Ministry of Health request email] the wrong address for Official Information requests
to Ministry of Health? If so, please contact us using this form:
[1]https://scanmail.trustwave.com/?c=15517&...

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on
the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
[2]https://scanmail.trustwave.com/?c=15517&...

If you find this service useful as an Official Information officer, please
ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's OIA or LGOIMA
page.

show quoted sections

This e-mail message has been scanned for Viruses and Content and cleared
by the Ministry of Health's Content and Virus Filtering Gateway

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

References

Visible links
1. https://scanmail.trustwave.com/?c=15517&...
2. https://scanmail.trustwave.com/?c=15517&...

Dear Mr Patterson

Thank you for your request under the Official Information Act 1982 (the
Act) to the Ministry of Health (the Ministry) on 27 February 2020 for:

        "I am writing under the Official Information Act to request any
documents that include the advice of the World Health Organisation
regarding the COVID-19 travel ban on people travelling from China, and any
consideration of that advice."

The Government is committed to the COVID-19 response, including keeping
the New Zealand public well informed.

This is a fast-evolving global situation and this office, along with many
other agencies, have diverted significant resources to support the
response to COVID-19.

The Ministry knows there is significant public interest in COVID-19 and is
responding to the substantial increase in demand for information from
interested or concerned members of the public.

We are working hard to ensure the New Zealand public is fully informed
about the work being done to respond to COVID-19. The Ministry is
committed to transparency and intends to make official information
publicly available as soon as possible.

This includes key advice papers to Ministers, situational reports and will
cover your request. As such your request is refused in accordance with
section 18(d) of the Act, as the information will soon be publicly
available.  

You may be interested to know the information will be published as soon as
possible on the Ministry’s ‘Information Releases’ page found here:
[1]https://www.health.govt.nz/about-ministr....

The Ministry routinely publishes the latest on the Government’s response
on the COVID-19 section of the Ministry’s website:
[2]https://www.health.govt.nz/our-work/dise....

Under section 28 of the Act, you have the right to ask the Ombudsman to
review any decisions made under this request.

Thank you for taking the time to write to the Ministry.

OIA Services
Government Services
Office of the Director-General
Ministry of Health
E: [email address]

show quoted sections

References

Visible links
1. https://www.health.govt.nz/about-ministr...
2. https://www.health.govt.nz/our-work/dise...