Last night Council decided to remove the My Vaccine Pass requirements for public facilities with immediate effect.

Mayor Bernie Wanden said, “that even though the change to the My Vaccine Pass guidelines set by Government is not going to change until 11.59pm on Monday April 4 it was felt by the majority of Council that our restrictions could be lifted immediately.”

Mayor Bernie continued “that when we implemented the My Vaccine Pass requirement for Council facilities it was always intended to be an interim measure and I am pleased that we are now able to dispense with the My Vaccine Pass requirements.

We are though, very conscious that we are still in the midst of a highly infectious Omicron outbreak and Horowhenua has not been immune to this, but there is some comfort in the fact that the majority of us are fully vaccinated.

We could be in a vastly different position if our vaccination rates were not at a level that suggests that most of those getting the virus are seeing only mild to moderate symptoms.

There is absolutely no doubt that being vaccinated and boosted significantly reduces the severity of symptoms and the risk of needing hospital care. We must continue to be vigilant in our hygiene standards and continue to wear masks while inside.

I want to take this opportunity to thank our health professionals and pharmacies, Raukawa Whānau Ora, Muaūpoko Tribal Authority and MidCentral DHB for their sterling efforts. I’d also like to thank every one of you for looking after one another. The compassion and resilience our community has fills me with great pride.”

Council websites and social media will be updated to reflect these changes over the coming days.

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