All advice tendered about the ending of the COVID-19 Protection Framework
Sean Richards made this Official Information request to Ministry of Health
The request was refused by Ministry of Health.
From: Sean Richards
Dear Ministry of Health,
The Prime Minister was quoted this afternoon as saying that "[...] based on public health advice we are able to remove the traffic light system and with that decision claim back the certainty we have all lost over the last three years." [1] Conversely, A. Prof. Siouxsie Wiles was quoted as saying that "[ditching restrictions] would also be a big, and in the long term expensive, mistake?" [2]
This is an *urgent* request under s 12(3) of the Official Information Act for all of the public health advice that the Ministry of Health has tendered to the Prime Minister, Cabinet Office, DPMC, and similar institutions, that the Prime Minister refers to.
I request urgency as COVID-19, and in particular Long Covid, has been described as a "mass disabling event" [3] and thus I am concerned that scrapping the vast majority of social restrictions will lead to increased infection and disabling. I would like to be confident that the advice tendered to Cabinet is that modelling suggests this is safe, and that the Government is adequately considering the wellbeing of its citizens.
[1] https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/474...
[2] https://thespinoff.co.nz/science/12-09-2...
[3] https://dcp.ucla.edu/covid-19-mass-disab...
Yours faithfully,
Sean Richards
From: OIA Requests
Kia ora Sean,
Thank you for your request for official information. The Ministry's
reference number for your request is: H2022012465.
As required under the Official Information Act 1982, the Ministry will
endeavour to respond to your request no later than 20 working days after
the day your request was received. If you'd like to calculate the
timeframe, you can use the Ombudsman's online calculator
here: [1]http://www.ombudsman.parliament.nz/
If you have any queries related to this request, please do not hesitate to
get in touch.
Ngā mihi
OIA Services Team
M[2]inistry of Health information releases
U[3]nite against COVID-19
show quoted sections
From: Sean Richards
Tēnā koutou,
I just want to "check in" and see if the Ministry is treating this request as urgent?
Ngā mihi nui,
Sean Richards
From: OIA Requests
Kia ora Sean,
Please find a response to your request for information.
Ngā mihi
OIA Services Team
Manatū Hauora | Ministry of Health
M[1]inistry of Health information releases
U[2]nite against COVID-19
show quoted sections
References
Visible links
1. https://www.health.govt.nz/about-ministr...
2. https://covid19.govt.nz/
From: OIA Requests
Kia ora Sean,
Thank you for your request for official information, received on 12
September 2022 for:
"...all of the public health advice that the Ministry of Health has
tendered to the Prime Minister, Cabinet Office, DPMC and similar
institutions, that the Prime Minister refers to"
You received a response to your request on 10 October 2022 under the
reference number: H2022012465 and informed that Manatū Hauora (the
Ministry of Health) had identified two documents in scope of your request,
titled: 'Memo Public Health Risk Assessment of COVID-19 Mandated Response
Measures - 17 August' and 'Required order changes to support the shift to
a new approach for managing COVID-19'. Both of these documents were
refused under section 18(d) of the Act, as the information requested will
soon be publicly available.
Manatū Hauora is contacting you to inform you that this information is now
publicly available on our website
at: [1]www.health.govt.nz/about-ministry/information-releases/general-information-releases/information-associated-decisions-new-approach-managing-covid-19
Ngā mihi
OIA Services Team
Manatū Hauora | Ministry of Health
M[2]inistry of Health information releases
U[3]nite against COVID-19
show quoted sections
References
Visible links
1. https://www.health.govt.nz/about-ministr...
2. https://www.health.govt.nz/about-ministr...
3. https://covid19.govt.nz/
Things to do with this request
- Add an annotation (to help the requester or others)
- Download a zip file of all correspondence
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Sean Richards left an annotation ()
Complaint lodged with the Ombudsman re: urgency not accorded.
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