At least one southern council will scrap the requirement for vaccine passes at its facilities one day before councils around the rest of the country.
Invercargill City Council chief executive Clare Hadley updated councillors on the situation yesterday during a risk and assurance meeting.
Earlier this week, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced from 11.59pm on April 4, vaccine passes would no longer be required.
In December, Invercargill’s councillors decided to introduce the pass for access to the Invercargill City Libraries and Archives, Splash Palace, He Waka Tuia and for the council chambers.
Some in the community protested against the decision and last year the council introduced security guards at certain venues to ensure the safety of its staff from people upset about the pass requirement.
Mrs Hadley told elected members that although the changes would start on April 4, the council decided to not request passes from Sunday, April 3, at 11.59pm.
"So we will start a new week with no armed guards, no security. Back to normal as you might put it."
The council would carry out another risk assessment throughout all its facilities to access which positions within council staff would still require "triple-shot" designation.
"A swimming teacher is a good example of that. We will be making sure that swimming teachers [at Splash Palace] have had their third shot as well."
Cr Ian Pottinger sought clarification about the use of masks at council’s chamber — if they would still need to use them, which Mrs Hadley confirmed.
"The standard ... is that masks should be on unless people are drinking or speaking," Mrs Hadley said.
