Kia ora Erika,  

  

Thank you for your request for official information. The reference number
for your request is: H2022018168.  

  

As required under the Official Information Act 1982, Manatū Hauora 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 

 
------------------- Original Message -------------------
From: Erika Whittome <[FOI #21340 email]>;
Received: Mon Dec 05 2022 15:53:52 GMT+1300 (New Zealand Daylight Time)
To: OIA Requests <[email address]>; OIA <[email address]>;
Subject: Official Information request - What is the MoH's definition of
"Protection" from Covid-19 and its variants

Dear Ministry of Health,

1. What is your definition of "protection" from Covid-19 and its variants?

Please include the following definitions in your "protection" definition:
a. prevention
b. limiting the risk of, and outbreaks or spread of COVID-19 and its
variants
c. avoidance of potential adverse effects of the COVID-19 outbreak
(whether direct or indirect) and its variants
d. mitigation of potential adverse effects of Covid-19 and its variants
e. the actual or potential adverse effects of a Covid-19 outbreak and its
variants.

2. Please include any evidence from Statistics New Zealand and agents or
organizations paid by NZ tax dollars of this protection.

3. Please supply information on remedies that were required to be provided
for Covid-19 and its variants as per The Health Act 1956 Section 74C from
March 2020 when a state of emergency was declared.

Yours faithfully,

Erika Whittome

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Kia ora Erika,
I refer to your official information request dated 4 December 2022 for
information regarding the ‘definition(s) of protection for COVID-19 and
it’s variants’.  The relevant teams within Manatû Hauora are preparing a
response, but we have been asked to clarify question 4 of your request
(Please supply information on remedies that were required to be provided
for Covid-19 and its variants as per The Health Act 1956 Section 74C from
March 2020 when a state of emergency was declared). 
Specifically, could you clarify what you mean by ‘remedies’ in terms of
Section 74C of the Health Act 1956, or alternatively could you re-word
this part of your request.
We look forward to hearing back from you shortly.

Ngâ mihi 

  

OIA Services Team

Manatû Hauora | Ministry of Health

M[1]inistry of Health information releases 
U[2]nite against COVID-19 

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Tçnâ koe Erika

Thank you for your request under the Official Information Act 1982 (the
Act) to Manatû Hauora (the Ministry of Health) on 5 December 2022 for
information regarding protection from Covid-19 and its variants. Parts of
your request has been responded to below
 

 1. What is your definition of "protection" from Covid-19 and its
variants? Please include the following definitions in your
"protection" definition:

a. prevention
b. limiting the risk of, and outbreaks or spread of COVID-19 and its
variants
c. avoidance of potential adverse effects of the COVID-19 outbreak
(whether direct or indirect) and its variants
d. mitigation of potential adverse effects of Covid-19 and its variants
e. the actual or potential adverse effects of a Covid-19 outbreak and its
variants.

Protection against COVID-19 can take many forms depending on the context.
COVID-19 vaccine strategies for example, have focused on preventing
against severe disease/death. Manatû Hauora continues to monitor several
aspects of protection, including protection against infection, onward
transmission, hospitalisation and severe disease/death. For more
information, please see our science updates:
[1]https://www.health.govt.nz/system/files/...
 

 2. Please include any evidence from Statistics New Zealand and agents or
organizations paid by NZ tax dollars of this protection.

Your request has been refused under section 18(g)(i) as the information
requested is not held by the Ministry and there are no grounds for
believing it is held by Statistics New Zealand or any another agency
subject to the Act.
 

 3. Please supply information on remedies that were required to be
provided for Covid-19 and its variants as per The Health Act 1956
Section 74C from March 2020 when a state of emergency was declared.”

As you know, we requested clarification regarding this part of your
request to which you responded, “Remedies refers to medicines which are
also in section 74c of the 1956 health act”.  We have interpreted this as
whether the supply of any medicines was directed for the treatment of
COVID-19 under section 74C of the Health Act 1956. Manatû Hauora is not
aware of the supply of any medicines being directed under section 74C for
the treatment of COVID-19 and/or its variants. We are also not aware of
any policies being published under that section. Your request is therefore
refused under section 18(g)(i) as the information requested is not held by
the Ministry and there are no grounds for believing it is held by another
agency subject to the Act.

Under section 28(3) of the Act, you have the right to ask the Ombudsman to
review any decisions made under this request. The Ombudsman may be
contacted by email at: [2][email address] or by calling 0800
802 602.

 
Ngâ mihi
 
OIA Services Team
[3]www.health.govt.nz
[4]Ministry of Health information releases
 
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