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normal business hours from 9:00am until 4:00pm - Monday to Friday

ph +64 6 867 2049 | toll-free 0800 653 800 |email [1][GDC request email]
address  15 Fitzherbert Street, Gisborne New
Zealand | url [2]www.gdc.govt.nz

References

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1. mailto:[GDC request email]
2. http://www.gdc.govt.nz/

Hi Erika

 

Your request will be considered under the Local Government Official
Information and meetings Act 1987 (LGOIMA).  This has been officially
lodged as of 17 May 2024, your reference RFS 343020 where the relevant
staff will contact you.

 

The Council is obliged to respond to requests for information within 20
working days unless that time is extended under section 14.  If it is
extended, you will be notified.

 

 

Nga mihi,

 

 

Stella Burgess
Mangai Wheako Kiritaki / Customer Experience Representative
Te Kaunihera o Te Tairāwhiti - Gisborne District Council
E: [1][email address] | P: +64 6 867 2049, 0800 653
800
A: 15 Fitzherbert Street, Gisborne | [2]Web | [3]Fb | [4]App

 

The content of this email is confidential and intended for the recipient
specified in message only. It is strictly forbidden to share any part of
this message with any third party without written consent from the sender.
If you received this message by mistake please reply to inform us so we
can prevent recurrence and promptly delete it.

From: Erika Whittome <[FYI request #26856 email]>
Sent: Friday, May 17, 2024 3:18 PM
To: Services <[email address]>
Subject: Official Information request - Vaccination requirements at
Gisborne District Council

 

Dear Gisborne District Council,
Between December 2021 to sometime in April 2022, the Gisborne District
Council had in place a mandated vaccination policy for staff and visitors
of many of its public facilities such as libraries, yet the Council was
not one of the affected groups in the Covid-19 Public Health
(vaccinations) order 2021.

Under the Official Information Act, provide the following information:

1.Was Covid 19 a disease reported to Worksafe byGDC?
2.Did Covid 19 arise out of the nature of work at GDC?
3.Is there or was there in the past, any genetic “gain of function” work
taking place at GDC on corona viruses, or the nursing of corona virus
patients?

Please provide:

4.The written authorisation from the Director General specifying persons
at GDC who were authorised enforcement person(s) under section 18 (2) the
Covid-19 Public Health Response Act 2020. Please provide the functions and
powers that could be carried out by the authorised enforcement person(s)
and;

5.Number of exemptions issued to GDC workers under clause 9 of the Covid
19 Public Health Response (Vaccinations) Order 2021;

6.Any other exemptions issued to staff, please provide grounds and number
issued and;

7.In relation to covid 19 vaccines, any payment GDC Council and/or its
subsidiaries received for each staff member that was vaccinated, the
amount and the scheme the payment was provided under and;

8.Any payment the GDC and/or its subsidiaries received for leasing or
renting floor space for vaccination in 2021 and 2022 , eg super Saturdays
events at any of your facilities. Please include the amount and the scheme
the payment was provided under.

Yours faithfully,

Erika Whittome

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

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References

Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2. https://www.gdc.govt.nz/
3. https://www.facebook.com/gisbornedc
4. https://www.gdc.govt.nz/council/contact-us
5. mailto:[FYI request #26856 email]
6. mailto:[GDC request email]
7. https://fyi.org.nz/change_request/new?bo...
8. https://fyi.org.nz/help/officers

Kia ora,

 

Request for Official Information

 

Please find following the response to your Request for Official
Information (343020)

 

1.Was Covid 19 a disease reported to Worksafe by GDC?

No – GDC followed MoH and WHO guidance when there was confirmation of the
Covid 19 pandemic.

 

2.Did Covid 19 arise out of the nature of work at GDC?

Time/place of individual infection isn’t able to be determined.  Some
public facing roles were rated at higher risk than other non-public facing
roles.

 

3.Is there or was there in the past, any genetic "gain of function" work
taking place at GDC on corona viruses, or the nursing of corona virus
patients?

No.  Staff were advised to review and follow MoH guidance

 

Please provide: 4.The written authorisation from the Director General
specifying persons at GDC who were authorised enforcement person(s) under
section 18 (2) the Covid-19 Public Health Response Act 2020. Please
provide the functions and powers that could be carried out by the
authorised enforcement person(s)

None  

 

and; 5.Number of exemptions issued to GDC workers under clause 9 of the
Covid 19 Public Health Response (Vaccinations) Order 2021;

None 

 

6.Any other exemptions issued to staff, please provide grounds and number
issued and;

None  

 

7.In relation to covid 19 vaccines, any payment GDC Council and/or its
subsidiaries received for each staff member that was vaccinated, the
amount and the scheme the payment was provided under and; 8.Any payment
the GDC and/or its subsidiaries received for leasing or renting floor
space for vaccination in 2021 and 2022 , eg super Saturdays events at any
of your facilities. Please include the amount and the scheme the payment
was provided under.

None   

 

Nga mihi,

Aleisha

 

Aleisha Newlands
People & Capability Manager
Te Kaunihera o Te Tairâwhiti - Gisborne District Council
E: [1][email address] | P: +64 6 867 2049, 0800 653
800
A: 15 Fitzherbert Street, Gisborne | [2]Web | [3]Fb | [4]App

 

The content of this email is confidential and intended for the recipient
specified in message only. It is strictly forbidden to share any part of
this message with any third party without written consent from the sender.
If you received this message by mistake please reply to inform us so we
can prevent recurrence and promptly delete it.

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2. https://www.gdc.govt.nz/
3. https://www.facebook.com/gisbornedc
4. https://www.gdc.govt.nz/council/contact-us

Kia ora Erika,

 

Covid-19 was a pandemic as declared by the WHO in March 2020.  Some
specific public facing roles within Council were deemed to present a
higher risk, and controls were implemented to minimize these risks as far
a reasonably practicable.  GDC followed Ministry of Health guidance as
part of our requirement to protect our staff and take all reasonably
practicable steps to ensure this.

 

Ngā mihi

 

From: Erika Whittome <[FOI #26856 email]>
Sent: Monday, June 10, 2024 10:39 AM
To: Aleisha Newlands <[email address]>
Subject: Re: Request for Information - RFS # 343020

 

Dear Gisborne District Council,

Would you kindly answer question 2?

2.Did Covid 19 arise out of the nature of work at GDC?
You said:
Time/place of individual infection isn’t able to be determined. Some
public facing roles were rated at higher risk than other non-public facing
roles.

The question is not about transmission or individual infection. It’s about
the arising of the covid-19 disease in the various workplaces at GDC. How
does the disease come about? ie did the disease originate from the kind of
work taking place at GDC? For example, there are diseases arising out of
working with asbestos. If I demolish a building with asbestos, then
asbestos lung is a disease which arises out of the kind of work taking
place….that is, the demolition works of asbestos materials. The demolition
work leads to asbestos lung if workers are not adequately protected from
the asbestos materials which is the disease arising out of the nature of
the work taking place.

Please would your provide the information on the covid-19 disease arising
out of the nature of the work at GDC?

Yours sincerely,

Erika Whittome

show quoted sections

Kia ora Erika,

 

Within the scope of national medical guidance from the Ministry of Health
and Council Policy, we believe we have answered the question. 

 

You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of
this decision. Information about how to make a complaint is available at
[1]www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or freephone 0800 802 602.

 

Ngā mihi,

Aleisha

 

From: Erika Whittome <[FOI #26856 email]>
Sent: Tuesday, June 25, 2024 5:20 AM
To: Aleisha Newlands <[email address]>
Subject: RE: Request for Information - RFS # 343020

 

Dear Aleisha Newlands,

Did Covid arise out of the nature of the work taking place at GDC? Would
you kindly answer that question

Yours sincerely,

Erika Whittome

show quoted sections

Kia ora Erika,

 

We believe we have responded to your question and won’t be responding any
further.

 

You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of
this decision. Information about how to make a complaint is available at
[1]www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or freephone 0800 802 602.

 

Nga mihi

 

From: Erika Whittome <[2][FOI #26856 email]>
Sent: Wednesday, June 26, 2024 7:31 PM
To: Aleisha Newlands <[3][email address]>
Subject: RE: Request for Information - RFS # 343020

 

Dear Aleisha Newlands,
This is not a request under "the scope of national medical guidance from
the Ministry of Health"
nor "the Council Policy". This information on the arising of the dieases
at GDC is in regard to the health and safety at work act 2015.
Section 199 Requirement of medical officer of health to notify regulator
of workrelated notifiable disease or hazardous substances injury
(1) This section applies if a medical officer of health receives—
(a) a notification under section 74 of the Health Act 1956 of a notifiable
dis‐
ease that he or she reasonably believes arises from work:
(b) a notification under section 143 of the Hazardous Substances and New
Organisms Act 1996 of an injury caused by a hazardous substance that
he or she reasonably believes arises from work.

Did the disease arise from the work at the GDC?

Yours sincerely,

Erika Whittome

show quoted sections