Dear Institute of Environmental Science and Research Limited,

Under the Official Information Act 1982, I request the following information:

1. What steps, if any, has Institute of Environmental Science and Research Limited (ESR) taken to establish the specific genome sequencing of the strain of Covid-19 virus acquired by the 22 year old traveller who left NZ on 21 July 2020 and tested positive via a Rapid Test upon arrival in South Korea on 22 July 2020, and who again tested positive in the subsequent PCR tests?

2.Has ESR obtained the genome sequence for the Covid-19 virus for the 22 year old traveller who departed NZ on 21 July 2020 and tested positive upon arrival in South Korea on 22 July 2020 from South Korean health officials and laboratories? If not, why not?

3. Has ESR, or NZ Health Officials on your behalf, asked counterparts in South Korean to provide a sample of the Covid-19 virus acquired for the 22 year old traveller who departed NZ on 21 July 2020, then tested positive upon arrival in South Korea on 22 July 2020, so that genome sequencing could be performed by ESR in NZ? If not, why not?

4. Has ESR received a sample of the Covid-19 virus for the 22 year old traveller who departed NZ on 21 July 2020 and tested positive upon arrival in South Korea on 22 July 2020 from South Korean health officials and laboratories to analyse? If not, why not?

5. Has ESR, or your agents, established the genome sequence for the virus acquired by the 22 year old traveller who departed NZ on 21 July 2020 and tested positive upon arrival in South Korea on 22 July 2020? If not, why not? If so, what is the specific genome sequence?

6. What steps, if any, has ESR taken to establish whether, or not, the strain of Covid-19 virus acquired by the 22 year old traveller who left NZ on 21 July 2020, and then tested positive upon arrival in South Korea on 22 July 2020, is the same strain as the current Auckland community outbreak where the Americold Mount Wellington worker was the first known case?

Yours faithfully,

Bronwyn Pullar