Te Tari Taiwhenua
Department of Internal Affairs
Purpose
1.
This briefing provides you with background information on the joint Minister of Health and
Minister for Government Digital Services Cabinet paper:
Technology Solutions for
Addressing COVID-19 and enabling Health and Disability System Transformation, and an
update on technology solutions to assist with COVID-19 Contact tracing.
Background
2.
The Department first became involved in the COVID-19 Ministry of Health (MoH) COVID-19
contract tracing technology response following a meeting of COVID-19 Ministers on 9 April
2020.
3.
At this meeting, COVID-19 Ministers directed the Minister for Government Digital Services
and the Minister of Health to report back with an update on progress with implementing
technology options to respond to COVID-19 [CAB-20-MIN-0130 refers]. COVID-19
Ministers also agreed that priority should be given to technological enhancements to
support contact tracing.
4.
On 16 April 2020 the Minister for Government Digital Services met with the Minister of
Health and agreed that the report back on technology options would be provided as part
of a MoH Cabinet paper on contact tracing.
5.
On 20 April 2020 Cabinet noted that effective contact tracing is a vital part of the COVID-
19 response [CAB-20-MIN-0175] and invited officials to report back with an update with
implementing technology responses. It was also noted that officials would assess the
feasibility of a Bluetooth-enabled card that would allow for contact tracing at scale and
report back to the Ministers of Finance, Internal Affairs, Health, and Government Digital
Services.
6.
We have not been able to determine a specific Cabinet directive, but MoH appear to have
taken the initiative and been progressing development of several technology solutions to
assist with COVID-19 contact tracing, such as the development of an app. With the GCDO
providing some advice on the various technical options.
7.
Department officials are currently working on a separate Cabinet paper report back with
an analysis of the COVID-19 technology response oversight requirements from an all of
government perspective, a proposed governance structure, and a COVID-19 Technology
Response Plan [CAB-20-MIN-0175 refers]. The aim is for this broader response plan to
align with MoH’s COVID-19 Technology and Data Plan.
Joint Minister of Health and Minister for Government Digital Services Cabinet
Paper: Technology solutions for addressing COVID-19 and enabling health and
disability system transformation
8.
The Technology solutions for addressing COVID-19 and enabling health and disability
system transformation Cabinet paper (the Cabinet paper) provides an update on the
Health System COVID-19 Technology and Data approach to support New Zealand’s
response to COVID-19, with a focus on timely and effective contact tracing.
9.
The Cabinet paper will go direct to Cabinet on Monday 11 May 2020. It seeks Cabinet
decisions on options for delivering technology solutions to support contact tracing
processes, if consumer application functions should be released, and when.
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10. The following section provides the Department’s views on the Cabinet paper, ahead of
providing a summary of the key components of the paper.
Summary of our feedback on the Cabinet Paper
11. Overall, the GCDO and Government Chief Privacy Officer (GCPO) have indicated support of
technology solutions that bolster the manual contact tracing process, rather than replace
it. Technology solutions can help improve contact tracing by increasing the speed of the
process and its accuracy.
12. 9(2)(g)(i)
13. The Department is working with the Ministry of Justice to ensure these privacy and data
questions are answered for the Bluetooth-enabled Card assessment. The Privacy
Commissioner and the Government Chief Privacy Officer are also engaged in this work.
14. 9(2)(g)(i)
14.1
6(a) and 9(2)(g)(i)
14.2
9(2)(g)(i)
14.3
9(2)(g)(i)
14.4
9(2)(g)(i)
Technology options being assessed in the Cabinet Paper
15. The paper proposes several technology solutions for effective contact tracing including: a
web app; phone app; Quick Response (QR) code location signing in; and Bluetooth-
enabled solutions.
16. The two Bluetooth options currently being assessed are:
16.1
Mobile Bluetooth contact tracing: it is proposed that this will be part of a phone
app that MoH are developing. It would log close contacts with people who also
carry a smartphone with the app; and
16.2
Bluetooth-enabled card: it is proposed that the card would record when a
cardholder has come into close contact with another cardholder. The card would
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only record a personal identity number and time of contact, not other personal
information or location data.
17. At this stage it is anticipated both options would be voluntary. If approved, the
government would only be able to access and use contact data if people give their
consent.
18. MoH are also proposing a QR code system for their phone app to assist with contact
tracing. This would enable a person to record locations they have visited and display it in
the app. This would also be voluntary and only shared with the government upon consent.
19. The paper proposes that Cabinet directs MoH and GCDO to prepare a single report back to
Ministers (Finance, Internal Affairs, Health, and Government Digital Services) on the
mobile-phone based and card-based Bluetooth options. This would include: technical
feasibility; privacy; how the solutions would complement each other or interoperate
including with the Australian Bluetooth solution; costs; timeframes; and options for
implementation.
20. Recommendations on options for implementation of one or other, or both, of the
Bluetooth options would then be made to Cabinet on 15 June 2020. Officials would also
report on the privacy and security of these options, with the Privacy Commissioner and
GCPO involved in this process.
Financial implications of the Paper
21. MoH have suggested that approximately $15 million in 2020/21 would be required to
support the implementation of their COVID-19 Technology and Data Plan, excluding GCDO
and MBIE costs, and including their consumer app.
22. Should approval from Cabinet be received MoH has indicated that funding is sufficient to
support their delivery in 2019/20, but that options are being explored for funding in
2020/21, including reviewing baseline funding. MoH officials plan to make
recommendations to the Ministers of Finance, Health, Internal Affairs, and Government
Digital Services on the 2020/21 funding options for the Health system COVID-19
Technology and Data Plan, ahead of a report back to Cabinet by 31 May 2020.
Bluetooth-enabled Card update
23. On 20 April 2020 Cabinet noted that officials are assessing the option of a Bluetooth-
enabled card to support contact tracing and will report back to the Ministers of Finance,
Internal Affairs, Health, and Government Digital Services [CAB-20-MIN-0175 refers].
24. The card would enable contact tracing at scale by recording when a card comes into close
contact with other cards. The cards would store serial numbers rather than personal
details. Card contact information would be stored in a central database that would only be
accessed if a cardholder tests positive and close contacts need to be notified.
25. The work to assess the viability of issuing a Bluetooth-enabled card to all New Zealanders
complements existing and planned contact tracing activities led by MoH. The concept of a
card came from the COVID-19 Response Public Private Partnership (PPP) team. The GCDO
is leading coordination of the work with the PPP team on the proof of concept for the
card. The Ministry of Justice is considering the policy and regulatory framework, with a
briefing coming to you next week on policy direction.
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26. A full assessment is currently underway and GCDO, MoH and the PPP team are assessing
the technical feasibility, privacy, interoperability, costs, timeframes and options for
implementation of the Bluetooth-enabled cards.
27. Ministry of Health and GCDO officials are to report back to the Ministers of Finance,
Health, Government Digital Services and yourself with the results of the Bluetooth enabled
card proof of concept. Recommendations on options for implementation are then
planned to be made to Cabinet on 15 June 2020.
28. The attached Cabinet paper proposes that Cabinet direct MoH and GCDO to prepare a
single report back to Ministers on both the mobile-phone based and card-based Bluetooth
options. This will include: technical feasibility; privacy; how the solutions would
complement each other or interoperate including with the Australian Bluetooth solution;
costs; timeframes; and options for implementation.
29. Recommendations on options for implementation of one or other, or both, of the
Bluetooth options would be made to Cabinet at the 15 June 2020 meeting.
Your role
30. In the Cabinet minute of 20 April 2020, you were identified as one of four Ministers
responsible for the oversight of the Bluetooth-enabled Card assessment.
31. In the attached Cabinet paper, it is proposed that you also have a role in relation to
decisions on funding of the Health System COVID-19 Technology and Data Plan. MoH
officials will make recommendations to you and the other three Ministers responsible to
support a report back to Cabinet by 31 May 2020.
Next steps
32. You will receive a copy of the policy briefing with options for the direction of the
Bluetooth-enabled card assessment on 12 May 2020. This briefing will cover in detail what
is being considered in the assessment of the card and will seek policy directions for the
possibility of a Bluetooth-enabled contact tracing card.
33. We will continue to keep you updated on this work as it progresses and can arrange for
Ministry of Health officials to brief you if needed.
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Department of Internal Affairs
Recommendations
34. We recommend that you:
a)
note that the Cabinet paper:
Technology Solutions for Addressing
COVID-19 and enabling Health and Disability System Transformation will be considered at Cabinet on Monday 11 May 2020; and
b)
note that both GCDO and Ministry of Health officials are available to
discuss this work with you further if needed.
Michael Woodside
Director, Policy
Hon Tracey Martin
Minister of Internal Affairs
/
/
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Appendix A: Cabinet Paper
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Appendix B
Talking Points
•
Agree with the approach that technology should support contact tracing and
not replace it.
•
How do the contact tracing solutions presented link with and compliment
manual processes?
•
Privacy is key to the success of any technology solution and it is good to see
that Health have engaged with the Privacy Commissioner and GCPO on this
work.
Authority and Mandate
•
9(2)(g)(i)
•
9(2)(g)(i)
Data and Privacy
•
6(a) and 9(2)(g)(i)
Consultation
•
How much consultation has there been from a technical assurance perspective
and relating to those that are digitally excluded (i.e. Seniors and Maori)?
Role of GCDO
•
There needs to be a broader focus (beyond public health outcomes) on the
wider view of the technology landscape that is critical to facilitate economic
and social recovery from COVID-19.
•
I am supportive of the GCDO playing an oversight role in terms of COVID-19
technology solutions and understand a further paper is being developed to
provide a framework for this.
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