Dear Ministry of Education,

Between December 2021 - April 2022, the Ministry of Education promulgated advice in bulletins encouraging vaccination for staff.

Under the Official Information Act, provide the following information:

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

Please provide:

4.The written authorisation from the Director General specifying persons at The Ministry of Education 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 The Ministry of Education 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 The Ministry of Education 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 Ministry of Education and/or its subsidiaries received for leasing or renting floor space, or allowing mobile clinics on-site for vaccination in 2021 and 2022 and the scheme the payment was provided under.

Yours faithfully,

Erika Whittome