Details of emails detailing the downgrading of Covid 19 from HCID to NOID

The request was successful.

Dear Department of Health and Social Care,

I am writing to you under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 to request the following information.

On the 19th of March 2020 the Covid 19 pandemic was publicly announced as being officially downgraded from a High Consequence Infectious Disease (HCID) to a Notifiable Infectious Disease (NoID). The Bill was subsequently passed on the 26th March 2020.
It is my understanding that the reclassification emails between DHSC and the Secretary of State Matt Hancock commenced on the 13th March 2020.

The draconian and dystopian effects upon our society as a result of this decision are catastrophic. I am requesting that these emails be made public hence this request. I cannot foresee any reason to withhold this information with your vast array of exemptions as it is a decision which has been made that affects every member of society.

I would consider this information to be of huge public interest seeing as it is controlling their very existence. These emails whilst being private in respect of Mr Hancock talking to a Government Department should not be classed as secret or classified. Should that be the case then one would extract from that there is information in them that is contrary to what has been published.

Should this request be denied it will be appealed and escalated until it receives an answer.

Yours faithfully,

Mark Oakford

Department of Health and Social Care

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Department of Health and Social Care

1 Attachment

Dear Mr Oakford,

Please find attached the Department of Health and Social Care's response
to your recent FOI request (our ref: FOI-1276010).

Yours sincerely, 

Dorothy Crowe
Freedom of Information Team
Department of Health and Social Care

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Dear Department of Health and Social Care,

Many thanks or your prompt and honest response.

To clarify, I would suggest that the emails from the ACDP to the DHSC regarding the classification on the 13th of March would be the correct place to start.

Many thanks for your advice

Yours faithfully,

Mark Oakford

Department of Health and Social Care

2 Attachments

Dear Mr Oakford,

Please find attached the Department of Health and Social Care's response
to your recent FOI request (our ref: FOI-1285419 ).

Yours sincerely, 

Dorothy Crowe
Freedom of Information Team
Department of Health and Social Care

show quoted sections