Vaccine pass requirement extended to keep community safe
Last modified: 13 Dec 2021 2:13pm
Vaccine passes will be required to enter all Selwyn District Council staffed facilities from start of business on Friday [17 December], to help protect the community from COVID-19.
The extension follows the introduction of vaccine pass requirement at several key facilities last week, and aims to provide maximum protection to the Selwyn community and Council staff, Council Chief Executive David Ward says.
“In a global pandemic we all need to take steps to protect each other. Vaccine passes provide the best protection we can offer. They help ensure our community can continue to use our facilities, knowing they have the best protection we can offer to keep themselves and others safe.”
The aim of the Council’s approach is to maintain access to Council services for as many people as possible, while keeping people safe, especially during the holiday period when Council facilities are likely to see higher numbers of visitors, Mr Ward says.
“Requiring vaccination passes means we can continue to provide our full services to the maximum number of Selwyn residents with the least restrictions.
We are very grateful for the support we have received from so many people visiting our facilities where passes are required. We appreciate the way people have been patient and encouraging as we work to keep everyone safe.
For those who do not hold a vaccination pass, we will do everything we can to deliver as many services as possible in alternative ways to ensure they still have access to services.”
From Friday, passes will be required to enter all Selwyn Libraries, the Council’s offices in Rolleston and any other staffed Council facilities. This is in addition to the requirements already in place for all recreation facilities, controlled entry events and Te Ara Ātea.
Public toilets, playgrounds, parks and cemeteries will continue to be open as normal. Vaccine passes will not be required at Council campgrounds. The Pines Resource Recovery Park will operate as normal, without the need for vaccine passes.
The Council has also begun consulting staff on its COVID-19 Vaccination Policy which proposes that all staff will need to be fully vaccinated. This is based on a risk assessment which showed the majority of Council staff are in roles that are at a higher risk of being exposed to, or exposing others to COVID-19.
This is due to the nature of the work our staff do where they deal with many customers, including vulnerable ones, in different environments.
The Council supports the Government’s aim to have New Zealanders vaccinated, and has been guided by evidence from the Ministry of Health that vaccination remains one of the most effective ways to protect people from becoming infected by, and transmitting, COVID-19.
Anyone needing help with accessing the My Vaccine Pass or NZ Pass Verifier can seek free assistance from Selwyn libraries and service centres. This assistance can sometimes take a few minutes, so we ask people to be patient if staff are assisting others.
“Our staff are happy to help, and we’ve already helped over 1000 people to download or laminate their pass,” Mr Ward says.
The requirements to scan in using the NZ Covid Tracer App and to wear a mask in public places remain in place.
More details and information on Council’s facilities and operations at the Orange setting are available on our COVID-19 page.