Hutt City Council has said today that in line with the recent Government announcement, vaccination passes will not be required at its facilities from 5 April 2022.

These changes are in addition to others that came into force at the weekend, including updates to scanning QR codes and indoor gathering limits.

Hutt City Council Chief Executive Jo Miller said that the decision reflects Council’s own review of its COVID-19 settings.

"Our biggest priority throughout this period has been keeping our staff and community safe. Following the Government’s decision last week, we reviewed our own settings, consulted with colleagues across the region and considered advice from Taituarā (Local Government Professionals Aotearoa).

"In light of this review, our community’s high vaccination rates, and recognising that we are now in a different phase of living with Omicron, we decided that My Vaccine Passes will no longer be required at our sites and facilities from 5 April.

"With the presence of Omicron in our community, it is good health and safety practices that will continue to keep us safe. Things like staying away and getting tested when you’re not well, masking and sanitising will help ensure our frontline staff are protected and our facilities remain open.

"COVID-19 has demonstrated the importance of remaining agile, and we will continually review this decision to reflect the rapidly evolving nature of the pandemic.

"This has been a hugely challenging time and I would like to express my thanks to everyone for their continued commitment to keeping each other safe," says Jo Miller.

While vaccine pass requirements will change from 5 April, the country remains at the Red setting with limits on the number of people who can attend indoor events.

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