27 July 2022 
 
 
 
Scott 
[FYI request #19509 email] 
 
Ref: OIA-2021/22-1382 
 
Dear Scott 
 
Official Information Act request for COVID-19  Protection  Framework and Vaccine 
Certificate review documents 
 
Thank you for your Official Information Act 1982 (the Act) request received on 30 May 2022. 
You requested: 
 
“For the CVC review, it is stated that: 
“Officials are continuing to progress the planned review of domestic COVID-19 Vaccine 
Certificates/My Vaccine Pass policy, which was intended to pick up any significant 
issues with the operation of the policy as well as any simple improvements that could 
be made… The timing of this review… is now tracking for late-February/early-March…” 
And for the CPF review it is stated that: 
“This work wil  be a wider review of the CPF as a whole and wil  assess some of the 
bigger picture questions about the Framework… The CPF review is on a slightly slower 
track than the COVID-19 Vaccine Certificates review (aiming to land this work in 
March)…” 
I would like to request copies of both of these reviews.” 
 
Throughout the pandemic, officials  have kept our public health measures under review to 
ensure they are proportionate and supported by the latest evidence. Earlier in 2022, a more 
comprehensive  review of My Vaccine Pass and the COVID-19 Protection Framework  was 
commenced by the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. The timeframes for 
delivery for each review were originally planned for March and April/May 2022, respectively.  
 
However, in March 2022, as we anticipated a move beyond the first  peak of the Omicron 
outbreak, the reviews were fast-tracked to inform advice to Cabinet on the form of our 
COVID-19 response after the Omicron peak.  
 
As a result, the product of these reviews was a Cabinet paper which considered the post-
peak response strategy, including the continuing need for, and form of, the COVID-19 
Protection Framework which incorporated My Vaccine Pass requirements.  
 
The Cabinet paper The COVID-19 Response after the Peak of Omicron is therefore within 
scope of your request. This paper  is  publicly available on the Unite Against COVID-19 
website:  
https://covid19.govt.nz/assets/Proactive-Releases/Alert-levels-and-restrictions/13-July-
2022/PO01-21032022-The-COVID-Response-After-the-Peak-of-Omicron.pdf 
 
 
 
4564159 
 
Executive Wing, Parliament Buildings, Wellington, New Zealand 6011 
 
  64 4 817 9698  www.dpmc.govt.nz 
 

---

 
 
Accordingly, I have refused your request under section 18(d) of the Act, as the information 
requested is publicly available.  
 
I am, however, releasing to you a paper in  part that provides an overview of the review 
undertaken by officials on the efficacy of the COVID-19 Protection Framework in the context 
of the Omicron outbreak. The information in this paper was used in the development of the 
Cabinet paper The COVID-19 Response after the Peak of Omicron.  Some information is 
withheld under section 9(2)(g)(i), to maintain the effective conduct of public affairs through 
the free and frank expression of opinion. 
 
You have the right to ask the Ombudsman to investigate and review my decision under 
section 28(3) of the Act. 
 
We do not intend to publish this response on the Department of the Prime Minister and 
Cabinet’s website.  
 
 
Yours sincerely 
 
 
 
 
 
Ruth Fairhall  
Deputy Chief Executive 
COVID-19 Response 
 
 
 
4564159 
2 
 

---