Isolation and testing of COVID-19
M. Cameron made this Official Information request to Ministry of Health
The request was successful.
From: M. Cameron
Dear Minister of Health and Director General,
The COVID-19 Public Health Response Act 2020 outlines orders where a person may be required to report for medical examination or testing under section 11.
Can you please urgently provide under the Official Information Act any information held by the Minister of Health and/or Ministry of Health and/or Director General:
1) about whether COVID-19 has been isolated and if so, by whom, where and on what basis
2) about who supplies the test kits being used in New Zealand and details on how these have been satisfactorily tested for efficacy
3) about whether the testing undertaken specifically tests for and identifies COVID-19. If not, then details on what the testing does identify and whether it is testing for coronavirus in general, current influenza or something else.
4) If the testing is not specific to COVID-19 - any information about whether persons who have previously received the current or prior years annual influenza vaccine would then show a "positive" result on the testing being undertaken.
5) the information provided to those who may be directed to undertake 'medical examination' as detailed in the Act
Please email me if you have any queries or require any clarification of this request. Please could you provide this urgently as this is a matter of considerable public interest and may affect the lives and wellbeing of New Zealanders particularly if further section 11 orders are enforced on the basis of any testing or medical examination.
Thank you for your assistance.
Yours faithfully,
M. Cameron
Ministry of Health
Kia ora
Thank you for your email dated 15 May 2020 requesting the following
information under the Official Information Act 1982:
"1) about whether COVID-19 has been isolated and if so, by whom, where
and on what basis
2) about who supplies the test kits being used in New Zealand and details
on how these have been satisfactorily tested for efficacy
3) about whether the testing undertaken specifically tests for and
identifies COVID-19. If not, then details on what the testing does
identify and whether it is testing for coronavirus in general, current
influenza or something else.
4) If the testing is not specific to COVID-19 - any information about
whether persons who have previously received the current or prior years
annual influenza vaccine would then show a "positive" result on the
testing being undertaken.
5) the information provided to those who may be directed to undertake
'medical examination' as detailed in the Act."
The Ministry's reference number for your request is: H202003448.
As required under the Act we will endeavour to respond to your request no
later than 15 June 2020, being 20 working days after the day your request
was received.
If we are unable to respond to your request within this time frame, we
will notify you of an extension of that time frame.
If you have any queries related to this request, please do not hesitate to
get in touch.
Nga mihi
OIA Services
Government Services
Office of the Director-General
Ministry of Health
E: [email address]
[1]http://www.health.govt.nz
show quoted sections
References
Visible links
1. http://www.health.govt.nz/
Ministry of Health
Kia Ora Mr Cameron
In relation to your request for information made on 15 May 2020:
"1) about whether COVID-19 has been isolated and if so, by whom, where and
on what basis
2) about who supplies the test kits being used in New Zealand and details
on how these have been satisfactorily tested for efficacy
3) about whether the testing undertaken specifically tests for and
identifies COVID-19. If not, then details on what the testing does
identify and whether it is testing for coronavirus in general, current
influenza or something else.
4) If the testing is not specific to COVID-19 - any information about
whether persons who have previously received the current or prior years
annual influenza vaccine would then show a "positive" result on the
testing being undertaken.
5) the information provided to those who may be directed to undertake
'medical examination' as detailed in the Act
Please email me if you have any queries or require any clarification of
this request. Please could you provide this urgently as this is a matter
of considerable public interest and may affect the lives and wellbeing of
New Zealanders particularly if further section 11 orders are enforced on
the basis of any testing or medical examination."
Could you please clarify in relation to question 1, are you asking about
cases of COVID-19 disease or the SARS-CoV-2 virus?
Thank you
OIA Services
Government Services
Office of the Director-General
Ministry of Health
E: [email address]
show quoted sections
From: M. Cameron
Dear Ministry of Health,
In question 1, I would like to understand whether the virus causing the current pandemic (which I believe is SARS-CoV-2) is unequivocally being identified in the testing being conducted of individuals in NZ.
Yours faithfully,
M. Cameron
Ministry of Health
Good afternoon
In relation to your request for information dated 15 May 2020. The
Ministry of Health seeks clarification on part 5 of your request:
"5) the information provided to those who may be directed to undertake
'medical examination' as detailed in the Act"
To help us respond to your request, could you elaborate further on what
information you are requesting? Our clinical team were uncertain of what
this question is asking.
Thank you
OIA Services
Government Services
Office of the Director-General
Ministry of Health
E: [email address]
show quoted sections
From: M. Cameron
Dear Ministry of Health,
My query in question 5) is a follow on from the above questions in light of clause 11(a)(viii) 'report for medical examination or testing in any specified way or in any specified circumstances'.
This clause is very open in terms of what a person performing a medical examination may examine so I would like to understand what information has been provided to these professionals following this Act as to protocols, what they may/may not examine and how this has been specified. Specifically one would hope there is no such requirement for the removal of clothing items to examine a person for a virus of this nature.
Also, if the Covid-19/SARS-2 has not been specifically isolated then what specifically will a person directed to perform a medical examination be examining?
Yours faithfully,
M. Cameron
Ministry of Health
Kia ora
Thank you for your request for official information, received on 15 May
2020 requesting:
"1) about whether COVID-19 has been isolated and if so, by whom, where and
on what basis
2) about who supplies the test kits being used in New Zealand and details
on how these have been satisfactorily tested for efficacy
3) about whether the testing undertaken specifically tests for and
identifies COVID-19. If not, then details on what the testing does
identify and whether it is testing for coronavirus in general, current
influenza or something else.
4) If the testing is not specific to COVID-19 - any information about
whether persons who have previously received the current or prior years
annual influenza vaccine would then show a "positive" result on the
testing being undertaken.
5) the information provided to those who may be directed to undertake
'medical examination' as detailed in the Act
Please email me if you have any queries or require any clarification of
this request. Please could you provide this urgently as this is a matter
of considerable public interest and may affect the lives and wellbeing of
New Zealanders particularly if further section 11 orders are enforced on
the basis of any testing or medical examination."
The Ministry of Health 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, Monday 29
June 2020.
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.
Nga mihi
OIA Services
Government Services
Office of the Director-General
Ministry of Health
E: [email address]
show quoted sections
Ministry of Health
Kia ora
Please find attached a letter regarding your request for information.
Ngā mihi
OIA Services
Government Services
Office of the Director-General
Ministry of Health
E: [email address]
show quoted sections
Things to do with this request
- Add an annotation (to help the requester or others)
- Download a zip file of all correspondence
Offensive? Unsuitable?
Requests for personal information and vexatious requests are not considered valid requests for Official Information (read more).
If you believe this request is not suitable, you can report it for attention by the site administrators
Report this request
Michael Speth left an annotation ()
The Ministry of Health is fraudulently using the word 'isolation' to mean instead the culturing of, amplification of, and sequencing of. An OIA has already been requested for SARS-COV-2 isolation and the ministry of health responded they have no such records!
The OIA can be downloaded in PDF from the following link:
https://www.fluoridefreepeel.ca/new-zeal...
ESR also responded stating they also have no records of Virus isolation. Anyone claiming to have isolated SARS-COV-2 is fraudulently using the word isolation.
My recommendation is to make a formal complaint with the Ombudsmen as the response to question 1 is fraudulent and is clearly guilty of perjury. They should be taken to court over this.
Link to this