Thank you for your Official Information Act request. This is
an automatic reply to let you know we received it.

In accordance with the Act, we'll let you know our decision within no more
than 20 working days. If you'd like to calculate the timeframe, you can
use the Ombudsman's online calculator
here: [1]http://www.ombudsman.parliament.nz/

Due to the COVID-19 global pandemic response, the Ministry is experiencing
significantly higher volumes of queries and requests for information. This
means we may take some time in responding to your request. The Ministry
regularly updates information about the COVID-19 situation and publishes
OIA responses considered to be of public interest:
[2]https://www.health.govt.nz/about-ministr...

Please also refer to the Unite Against Covid-19 website for copies of
papers, minutes, and key advice for the decisions the Government has made
relating to COVID-19.

Sometimes we may need to clarify aspects of a request. You can expect to
hear from us soon if that is the case here.

Ngā mihi,

OIA Services

Government Services

Office of the Director-General

Ministry of Health

E: [3][email address]

 

 

 

 

****************************************************************************
Statement of confidentiality: This e-mail message and any accompanying
attachments may contain information that is IN-CONFIDENCE and subject to
legal privilege.
If you are not the intended recipient, do not read, use, disseminate,
distribute or copy this message or attachments.
If you have received this message in error, please notify the sender
immediately and delete this message.
****************************************************************************

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

This e-mail message has been scanned for Viruses and Content and cleared
by the Ministry of Health's Content and Virus Filtering Gateway

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

References

Visible links
1. http://scanmail.trustwave.com/?c=15517&a...
2. https://www.health.govt.nz/about-ministr...
3. mailto:[email address]

hide quoted sections

Kia ora Jason,

 

Thank you for your request for official information received on 1 March
2022 for:

 

"1. How many cases are linked to vax-only music festivals such as LAB,
Soundsplash etc?

2. If places of interest have been scrapped, why is the "Covid Area" at
Parliament is openly discussed with figures presented to the press?

3. If point 1 is not reported, why is point 2 reported? I would think that
the government would want to share data to make the process transparent.”

 

A secondary request for official information was received on 1 March 2022
for:

 

“1. How many cases are linked to vax-only music festivals such as LAB,
Soundsplash etc?

2. If places of interest have been scrapped, why is the "Covid Area" at
Parliament is openly discussed with figures presented to the press?

3. If point 1 is not reported, why is point 2 reported? I would think that
the government would want to share data to make the process transparent.

4. Is the ministry able to supply the spread rate of vaccinated vs
unvaccinated cases? During Delta, the spread rate was 0.37 for unvaxxed
against 0.25 for vaccinated people (as per Pfizer-sponsored research
papers. Has this changed with Omicron?

5. Is the ministry able to supply the mortality rates of Omicron? Global
figures will suffice of vaccinated vs unvaccinated cases.

6. Could you please break down the "Died With Covid" cases into "Died From
Covid" and "Died With Covid". This would align the stated to Medsafe
reports that clearly identify deaths from the vaccine, as opposed to other
that are not directly attributed to.”

 

The Ministry of Health has consolidated your requests under reference
number: H202203379.

 

As required under the Official Information Act 1982, the Ministry will
endeavour to respond to your request no later than 29 March 2022, being 20
working days after the day your first request was received.

 

Due to the COVID-19 global pandemic response, the Ministry is experiencing
significantly higher volumes of queries and requests for information. 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.

 

Ngâ mihi

 

OIA Services

Government Services

Office of the Director-General

Ministry of Health

E: [1][email address]

 

****************************************************************************
Statement of confidentiality: This e-mail message and any accompanying
attachments may contain information that is IN-CONFIDENCE and subject to
legal privilege.
If you are not the intended recipient, do not read, use, disseminate,
distribute or copy this message or attachments.
If you have received this message in error, please notify the sender
immediately and delete this message.
****************************************************************************

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

This e-mail message has been scanned for Viruses and Content and cleared
by the Ministry of Health's Content and Virus Filtering Gateway

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

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]

hide quoted sections

Tēnā koe Jason 

 

Response to your request for official information 

 

Thank you for your requests under the Official Information Act 1982 (the
Act) to the Ministry of Health (the Ministry) received on 1 March 2022. As
advised, your requests have been consolidated under section 18(A)(2) of
the Act. 

 

 1. How many cases are linked to vax-only music festivals such as LAB,
Soundsplash etc? 

 

The Ministry is unable to provide the information requested, as our data
does not include vaccine pass requirements of exposure events. For the
events specified in the request, we have no recorded cases linked to the
L.A.B concert. For your information, on 1 February 2022 when public health
units ceased linking cases to clusters due to volume, there were 29 cases
linked to SoundSplash music festival as recorded in the National Contact
Tracing Solution.   

2. If places of interest have been scrapped, why is the "Covid Area" at
Parliament is openly discussed with figures presented to the press? 

 

As of 25 ^ February 2022, locations of interest ceased are no longer
published following the move to Phase 3 of the Omicron Response. Existing
locations of interest were removed from the website 14 days after the
indicated exposure dates. The protest at Parliament was listed as a
location of interest on 24 February 2022, with exposure dates identified
as 19 February 2022, and 20 February 2022. This location of interest and
correlating dates were removed from the website on 5 March 2022 and 6
March 2022, as 14 days had passed since the exposure date.  

3. If point 1 is not reported, why is point 2 reported? I would think that
the government would want to share data to make the process transparent. 

 

This part of your request is refused under section 18(e) of the Act as the
information requested does not exist. 

 

4. Is the ministry able to supply the spread rate of vaccinated vs
unvaccinated cases? During Delta, the spread rate was 0.37 for unvaxxed
against 0.25 for vaccinated people (as per Pfizer-sponsored research
papers. Has this changed with Omicron?
5. Is the ministry able to supply the mortality rates of Omicron? Global
figures will suffice of vaccinated vs unvaccinated cases.
6. Could you please break down the "Died With Covid" cases into "Died From
Covid" and "Died With Covid". This would align the stated to Medsafe
reports that clearly identify deaths from the vaccine, as opposed to other
that are not directly attributed to 

 

The Ministry is still considering these parts of your request. The
Ministry accepts there has been a failure to meet the timeliness
requirements imposed by the Act on this occasion. We apologise for the
inconvenience and any frustration this may have caused to you as a result.
We will endeavour to provide you with a response to this part of your
request as soon as reasonably practicable.  

 

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: [1][email address] or by calling 0800
802 602. 

 

Please note that this response, with your personal details removed, may be
published on the Ministry website at:
[2]www.health.govt.nz/about-ministry/information-releases.   

Ngā mihi

 

OIA Services Team

 

[3]Ministry of Health information releases

[4]Unite against COVID-19

****************************************************************************
Statement of confidentiality: This e-mail message and any accompanying
attachments may contain information that is IN-CONFIDENCE and subject to
legal privilege.
If you are not the intended recipient, do not read, use, disseminate,
distribute or copy this message or attachments.
If you have received this message in error, please notify the sender
immediately and delete this message.
****************************************************************************

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

This e-mail message has been scanned for Viruses and Content and cleared
by the Ministry of Health's Content and Virus Filtering Gateway

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

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2. http://www.health.govt.nz/about-ministry...
3. https://www.health.govt.nz/about-ministr...
4. https://covid19.govt.nz/

hide quoted sections