Kia ora

Thank you for taking the time to write to Hon Dr Ayesha Verrall, Minister
for Seniors, Minister for Food Safety, Associate Minister of Health and
Associate Minister for Research, Science and Development. Your email will
be carefully considered and noted and should a response be required it
will be sent in due course.

Ngā  Mihi 

Office of Hon Dr Ayesha Verrall

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kia ora Jennifer,

Thank you for your email of 20/06/2022 in which you submitted an Official Information Act request as follows:

- On the 25th October 2021 the version of the COVID-19 Public Health Response (vaccination ) Order 2021 held the definition of care and support workers as the following;
'Care and Support Worker means a person employed or engaged to carry out work that includes going to the home or place of residence of another person (not being the home or place of residence of a family member) to provide care and support services'.

-On November 6th a new version of COVID-19 Public Health Response (vaccination ) Order 2021 was released and the definition of care and support workers was as following;
'Care and Support Worker means a person employed or engaged to provide care and support services within a home or place of residence'.

Minister Verrall is considering your request in accordance with the Act, and you can expect a response by 19/07/2022.

Ngâ mihi”

Alfred

Alfred Lison (he/him)
Roving Private Secretary (Executive Support) | Office of Hon Dr Ayesha Verrall
Minister for COVID-19 Response
Minister of Research, Science and Innovation
Minister for Seniors
Associate Minister of Health

Phone: 04 817 8733
Email: [Ayesha Verrall request email] Website: www.Beehive.govt.nz
Private Bag 18041, Parliament Buildings, Wellington 6160, New Zealand

show quoted sections

Kia ora Jennifer,

Thank you for your request for official information, received on 20 June
2022 for:

 

- “On the 25th October 2021 the version of the COVID-19 Public Health
Response (vaccination ) Order 2021 held the definition of care and support
workers as the following; 'Care and Support Worker means a person employed
or engaged to carry out work that includes going to the home or place of
residence of another person (not being the home or place of residence of a
family member) to provide care and support services'.

- On November 6th a new version of COVID-19 Public Health Response
(vaccination ) Order 2021 was released and the definition of care and
support workers was as following; 'Care and Support Worker means a person
employed or engaged to provide care and support services within a home or
place of residence”

 

This office has decided to extend the period of time available to respond
to your request under section 15A of the Official Information Act 1982
(the Act), as further consultation is required.

You can now expect a response to your request on, or before, 16 August
2022.

You have the right, under section 28 of the Act, to ask the Ombudsman to
review my decision to extend the time available to respond to your
request.

 

Ngâ mihi,

 

 

Daniel Martin

Health Private Secretary | Office of Hon Dr Ayesha Verrall

Minister for COVID-19 Response

Minister of Research, Science and Innovation
Minister for Seniors

Associate Minister of Health

Private Bag 18041, Parliament Buildings, Wellington 6160, New Zealand

 

 

show quoted sections

Kia ora Jennifer,

Please find attached the Ministers response to your request for official information.

Ngā mihi,

Daniel Martin
Health Private Secretary | Office of Hon Dr Ayesha Verrall
Minister for COVID-19 Response
Minister of Research, Science and Innovation
Minister for Seniors
Associate Minister of Health
Private Bag 18041, Parliament Buildings, Wellington 6160, New Zealand

show quoted sections

 

Kia ora Jennifer

 

Thank you for your request for information via the Ombudsman’s office for:

 

“in terms of public health advice..…medical evidence in relation to the
decision to change the definition of a care and support worker in the
COVID-19 Public Health Response (vaccination) Order 2021.”

 

Please accept our apologies for the delay in responding to you. Please
find a response to your question below:

 

Responsibilities for disability have moved to Whaikaha, however, it is the
Ministry of Health’s understanding that the inclusion of family carers
reflected concerns from some members of the disability community that they
were dependent on an unvaccinated family carer for their care, had limited
ability to exclude unvaccinated family carers from their “bubble” despite
their vulnerability to COVID-19 and that there was no good reason for them
to not receive the same degree of protection from COVID-19 as those
receiving care from a non-family member.  Public health advice was
received in relation to the inclusion of in-home carers in the original
order, however, as the change involved the removal of an exception based
on family status rather than the introduction of a new type of work,
specific public health advice was not obtained beyond the public health
advice from the Director-General contained in the health report provided.

 

Thank you

 

 

Office of Hon Dr Ayesha
Verrall

Minister for COVID-19
Response

Minister of Research,
Science and Innovation
Minister for Seniors

Associate Minister of
Health

 

Email:
[email address]

Private Bag 18041,
Parliament Buildings,
Wellington 6160, New
Zealand

 

 

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------