Harold
[FYI request #17654 email]
Ref. OIA0464
Dear Harold
Thank you for your email of 22 November 2021, requesting the following information under
the Official Information Act 1984 (the Act):
I would like to request copies of all reports and briefings received by Minister Hipkins
on the topic of COVID-19 home quarantine (including the MIQ self-isolation pilot), and
COVID-19 self- and community isolation for community cases, dated since the
beginning of August.
I have identified 11 items in scope of your request in relation to the
topic of COVID-19 home
quarantine (including the self-isolation pilot). These documents have been outlined in the
document schedule below.
Some information within documents 1 to 8 have been withheld under the following sections of
the Act:
section 9(2)(a)
to protect the privacy of natural persons
section 9(2)(b)(ii)
to protect information where the making available of the information
would be likely unreasonably to prejudice the commercial position of the
person who supplied or who is the subject of the information
section 9(2)(f)(iv)
to maintain the constitutional conventions for the time being which
protect the confidentiality of advice tendered by Ministers of the Crown
and officials
section 9(2)(g)(i)
to maintain the effective conduct of public affairs through the free and
frank expression of opinions by or between or to Ministers of the Crown
or members of an organisation or officers and employees of any public
service agency or organisation in the course of their duty
section 9(2)(g)(ii)
to maintain the effective conduct of public affairs through the protection
of such Ministers, members of organisations, officers, and employees
from improper pressure or harassment
section 9(2)(h)
to maintain legal professional privilege.
I am withholding document 8,
2122-1563 Large scale self-isolation for travellers to New
Zealand – design of self-isolation model, 10,
2122-1778: Self-Isolation Pilot Evaluation Plan, and 11,
2122-2118 Self-Isolation Pilot Evaluation Report: arriving and transferring to self-
isolation, in full under section 9(2)(f)(iv) of the Act to maintain the constitutional conventions
for the time being which protect the confidentiality of advice tendered by Ministers of the Crown
and officials. A summary evaluation report on the Self-Isolation Pilot will be publicly available
in February.
In terms of section 9(1) of the Act, I am satisfied that, in the circumstances, the withholding of
this information is not outweighed by other considerations that render it desirable to make the
information available in the public interest.
I am refusing your request for a copy of document 9 -
Cabinet Paper Reducing Managed
Isolation stays for border arrivals from 14 to 9 or 10 days under section 18(d) of the Act as the
paper is currently being prepared to be proactively released and will soon be publicly available.
You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of my decision to
withhold information relating to this request, in accordance with section 28(3) of the Act. The
relevant details can be found at:
www.ombudsman.parliament.nz. Yours sincerely
Chris Hipkins
Minister for COVID-19 Response
Document schedule
Documents released
# Date
Description
Withholding Grounds
Cabinet Paper – Reconnecting New
s 9(2)(b)(ii), s 9(2)(g)(i),
27
1
Zealanders with the World: Self-Isolation s 9(2)(h)
September
Pilot
6 October
Briefing – 2122-1284 Decisions on self-
s 9(2)(a), s 9(2)(g)(ii),
2
2021
isolation pilot operational design matters s 9(2)(h)
Briefing – 2122-1338 Amendments to
s 9(2)(a), s 9(2)(g)(ii),
14 October
the COVID-19 Public Health Response
s 9(2)(h)
3
2021
(Isolation and Quarantine) Order 2020 to
give legal effect to the self-isolation pilot
22 October
Briefing – 2122-1398 Final operational
s 9(2)(a), s 9(2)(f)(iv),
4
2021
plan for the self-isolation pilot
s 9(2)(g)(i), s 9(2)(g)(ii)
Cabinet oral item: Self-isolation pilot:
Released in full
29 October
5
Proceeding in Christchurch under Alert
2021
level change
Briefing – 2122-1416 Further advice:
s 9(2)(a), s 9(2)(b)(ii),
19 October
Operational and capacity implications of
s 9(2)(g)(ii), s 9(2)(h)
6
2021
change to 9 or 10 day managed isolation
for border arrivals
Briefing - 2122-1661 Implications of
s 9(2)(a), s 9(2)(h)
5 November
7
shifting from a 14 to 7-day MIQ
2021
operating model
Documents withheld in full
#
Date
Description
Withholding Grounds
10
Briefing – 2122-1563 Large scale self-
s 9(2)(f)(iv)
8
November
isolation for travellers to New Zealand –
2021
design of self-isolation model
Cabinet Paper Reducing Managed
s 18(d)
18 October
9
Isolation stays for border arrivals from
2021
14 to 9 or 10 days
11
s 9(2)(f)(iv)
Briefing – 2122-1778: Self-isolation pilot
10 November
evaluation plan
2021
Briefing – 2122-2118 Self-Isolation Pilot
s 9(2)(f)(iv)
7 December
11
Evaluation Report: arriving and
2021
transferring to self-isolation
