Kia ora

 

Thank you for your three requests for official information received 23
February 2021 for:

 

"Please disclose any advice and reports to the Director-General concerning
the possibility of undetected community transmission of Covid-19 in New
Zealand since February 2020.
Provide any advice and reports concerning the possibility of undetected
community transmission of Covid-19 in New Zealand.
On 23 March 2020, the Director-General confirmed two locally acquired
cases of Covid-19 in Auckland and the Wairarapa. I request the following
information:
Was there an epidemiological link between these two cases? If so, please
disclose further details.
Has genomic sequencing been undertaken to establish the source(s) of these
infections? If so, please disclose the findings.
If no link to other cases was established, does the Ministry view this as
evidence of undetected community transmission; and if not, why not?"

Your requests have been consolidated into one. The Ministry's reference
number for your request is: H202101844.

 

As required under the Official Information Act 1982 we will endeavour to
respond to your request no later than 23 March 2021, being 20 working days
after the day your request was received.  

 

If we are unable to respond to your request within this time frame, we
will notify you of an extension of that time frame.

 

If you have any queries related to this request, please do not hesitate to
get in touch.

 

Ngā mihi

 

OIA Services

Government Services

Office of the Director-General

Ministry of Health

E: [email address]

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Kia ora Ryan Potts

 

Thank you for your request for official information, received on 24
February 2021 for:

 

“Please disclose any advice and reports to the Director-General concerning
the possibility of undetected community transmission of Covid-19 in New
Zealand since February 2020.
Provide any advice and reports concerning the possibility of undetected
community transmission of Covid-19 in New Zealand.

On 23 March 2020, the Director-General confirmed two locally acquired
cases of Covid-19 in Auckland and the Wairarapa. I request the following
information:
Was there an epidemiological link between these two cases? If so, please
disclose further details.
Has genomic sequencing been undertaken to establish the source(s) of these
infections? If so, please disclose the findings.
If no link to other cases was established, does the Ministry view this as
evidence of undetected community transmission; and if not, why not?"

 

We are contacting you in accordance with section 18B of the Official
Information Act 1982 (the Act) as the first part of your request, as it is
currently worded, is for a very large volume of information. Your request
may be refused under section 18(f) of the Act as the information requested
cannot be made available without substantial collation or research.

 

The Ministry proposes to refine the ‘advice and reports’ mentioned in the
first part of your request to:

 

“…official documents to the Director-General…”

 

Please note, this does not include any correspondence and drafts.

 

Please advise if you are happy with the proposed refinement. We look
forward to receiving your response.

 

Ngâ mihi

 

OIA Services

Government Services

Office of the Director-General

Ministry of Health

E: [email address]

 

 

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attachments may contain information that is IN-CONFIDENCE and subject to
legal privilege.
If you are not the intended recipient, do not read, use, disseminate,
distribute or copy this message or attachments.
If you have received this message in error, please notify the sender
immediately and delete this message.
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Kia ora

 

Please find attached a letter regarding your request for official
information.

 

Ngā mihi

 

OIA Services

Government Services

Office of the Director-General

Ministry of Health

E: [email address]

 

 

****************************************************************************
Statement of confidentiality: This e-mail message and any accompanying
attachments may contain information that is IN-CONFIDENCE and subject to
legal privilege.
If you are not the intended recipient, do not read, use, disseminate,
distribute or copy this message or attachments.
If you have received this message in error, please notify the sender
immediately and delete this message.
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