5 December 2025
Erika Whittome
[FYI request #32822 email]
Tēnā koe Erika
Your request for official information, reference: HNZ00103433
Thank you for your email on 11 November 2025, asking Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora for
the following under the Official Information Act 1982 (the OIA):
…Would you please share the documents containing Covid-19 stream definitions for all the
other DHBs in New Zealand from around October 2021?
Response
Please refer to
Appendix One, which sets out our decision on the release of documents within
scope of your request. The documents able to be released are at ached as
Appendix Two. Some
information has been withheld to under section 9(2)(g)(i) of the Act, to protect the effective conduct
of public affairs through the free and frank expression of opinions. Releasing the information would
mean that the relevant staff will not be willing to convey their unguarded opinions in future, which is
a core part of their role. I have considered the public interest in the release of this information and
decided that it does not outweigh the need to withhold at this time.
Document 1 was provided to the former District Health Boards (DHBs) as part of the COVID-19
Workforce Response. This document set guidance on protecting vulnerable staff working in the
health system during the COVID-19 pandemic, which DHBs amended to their working
environment.
Please note that when these documents were produced, the COVID-19 settings across the health
system were a fluid and rapidly evolving environment, with regional and district specific responses
to the pandemic required at different times. These documents were part of a wider context of
management, assessment and mitigation of healthcare worker vulnerabilities.
The information provided was collected from the four regions of Health New Zealand | Te Whatu
Ora, which are made up of the former DHBs. It is challenging to identify and collate information
from each individual former DHB, as their information may be held in dif erent record-keeping
systems, some of which may have been archived.
For this reason, a record of the COVID-19 stream definition could not be identified for all former
DHBs. These documents have been refused under section 18(e) of the Act, as the information
does not exist or cannot be found, despite reasonable efforts to locate it.
How to get in touch
If you have any questions, you can contact us at
[email address].
If you are not happy with this response, you have the right to make a complaint to the
Ombudsman. Information about how to do this is available at
www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or
by phoning 0800 802 602.
As this information may be of interest to other members of the public, Health NZ may proactively
release a copy of this response on our website. Al requester data, including your name and
contact details, wil be removed prior to release.
Nāku iti noa, nā
Danielle Coe
Manager (OIA) Government Services
Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora
Appendix One
Date
Title
Decision on release
24 August
All District Health Boards -
Some information has been withheld under
2021
Protecting Vulnerable DHB section 9(2)(g)(i) of the Act, to protect the
Staff During COVID-19
effective conduct of public affairs through the
Guide for People Leaders
free and frank expression of opinions. Releasing
and Line Managers
the information would mean that the
24 January
Counties Manukau
relevant staff will not be willing to convey
2022
guidance for vulnerable
their unguarded opinions in future, which is a
workers
core part of their role.
5 October
Canterbury DHB COVID-19
2021
Patient Management
Hospital Framework
26 November
Canterbury Health System -
2021
COVID-19 Pandemic
Streaming Guide – NO
LOCAL COMMUNITY
TRANSMISSION VERSION
TeWhatuOra.govt.nz
Health NZ, PO Box 793,
Wel ington 6140, New Zealand
