To enter Tototi: Hawke's Bay Arts & Events centre people will now need to have their vaccine pass. Photo / Paul Taylor
To enter Tototi: Hawke's Bay Arts & Events centre people will now need to have their vaccine pass. Photo / Paul Taylor
Hawke's Bay has officially moved to the orange level of the Government's Covid-19 traffic light system and several facilities in Hastings and Napier will now require the use of the vaccine pass to gain entry.
Hastings District Council chief executive Nigel Bickle said the council was closely following Governmentguidance and what that meant for council facilities and services.
"We are at the orange setting, initially for two weeks.
"This situation is constantly evolving and we are closely monitoring the guidance and vaccine requirements so we can adapt as necessary.
"Across all our facilities and services we are trying to provide alternatives for those people for whom access may be restricted."
Three council facilities will always require visitors aged 12 and over to have a Ministry of Health-issued vaccine pass at all times: Toitoi – Hawke's Bay Arts and Events Centre, FlaXrock Gym, and the Hastings Sports Centre.
For Toitoi in the orange setting, the use of vaccine passes allows it to operate at full capacity, with no physical distancing, so as well as events its hospitality offerings can also resume.
People are being encouraged to wear masks while in the venue, particularly if the event they're attending includes those under the age of 12, who are not eligible for vaccination.
For the council libraries, Hastings, Havelock North and Flaxmere, vaccine passes will not be required.
At Hastings City Art Gallery, when an event is on, an exhibition opening where there will be larger gatherings and people in close proximity, vaccine passes will be required.
Hastings mayor Sandra Hazlehurst said it was an unsettling and difficult time for the community, both for those that chose to be vaccinated, and those that didn't.
"As a council we have to do all we can to keep our community safe when they are using our facilities and services, and for legal reasons we also have to follow Government guidance on how to go about this.
"We've achieved great results for our vaccination rates and with these new settings, vaccine passes will allow us more freedoms. Please be kind to each other and to our staff as we get through this."
The Napier Municipal Theatre will require a vaccine pass for entry. Photo / Warren Buckland
Napier City Council undertook a detailed risk assessment on all facilities to decide appropriate measures around the vaccine pass.
Chief executive Steph Rotarangi said while there were multiple issues to consider, the primary considerations were community and staff safety, as well as whether the facility could legally operate without requiring the pass.
She said many council facilities, like the Municipal Theatre or War Memorial Centre, wouldn't be able to operate under orange without requiring customers to be vaccinated.
"Our decisions strike a balance between practicality and ensuring we can provide public good services to the entire Napier community," she said.
Some facilities offered services which could not operate without requiring the My Vaccine Pass, such as cafes, she said.
Other facilities are essential for ratepayers and provide a high degree of public good, so those would not require vaccine passes.
"We don't want to exclude members of the community from accessing these services. That said, we may need to move swiftly and change our decisions if required."
WHERE DO YOU NEED THE VACCINE PASS AT ALL TIMES:
HASTINGS
• FlaxRock Gym. • Hastings Sports Centre. • Toitoi: Hawke's Bay Arts & Events Centre.
• Napier War Memorial Conference Centre. • Napier Municipal theatre. • Century Theatre. • National Aquarium of New Zealand. • Kennedy Park Resort (from December 20). • Gym at Napier Aquatic Centre (not the Aquatic Centre itself).
