The Vaccine passes were introduced at the facilities in January, following the shift to Red in the Covid-19 Protection Framework (the traffic light system).

The decision to relax the vaccine pass requirement was not one made lightly, and new risk assessments that reflect the current Omicron situation were undertaken to inform the decision. With the government’s review of its position, including reduced isolation requirements, changes to contact tracing, border entry requirements and a relaxation of the education mandates, it was timely to review the Council’s position on the use of vaccine passes at the facilities.

““The vaccine pass requirement has been challenging for our community and there have been some strongly held views. Our staff at the Makino and library are looking forward to being able to operate without these restrictions and are hoping to see some familiar faces again,” says Lyn Daly, MDC General Manager - Community.
"We are mindful that we still need to do what we can to slow the spread of Covid-19 in our communities, so please continue to wear a mask, maintain physical distance from others, and stay home if you are unwell,” adds Lyn.

Some staff at the Makino Aquatic Centre and the Feilding Library have been impacted by Omicron, and while the facilities have still been able to operate, there may be some changes to operating hours and service availability in the coming weeks.

Residents are urged to keep an eye out on the social media channels for these facilities for updates.

ENDS