The Hamilton community will not have access to Council facilities in the same way they do now. Hamilton City Council has made My Vaccine Pass a condition of entry at its facilities for all people aged 12 years and older from as early as this Friday.
Councillors made the decision at an Extraordinary Council meeting today, based on government guidance and on legal advice about protecting staff and the community.
Other facilities, including libraries and the museum, will not allow entry without proof of vaccination from 14 December as Hamilton prepares for life at Orange in the COVID-19 Protection Framework.
While Council facilities and services will remain largely unchanged from Alert Level 2 under the new framework, My Vaccine Passes will be required as follows:
From 3 December 2021:
- H3 facilities including Claudelands Event Centre, FMG Stadium and Seddon Park.
- Waterworld and the Gallagher Pool Aquatic Centre
From 14 December 2021:
- Customer Service Centre & Council Chambers in the Municipal Bldg.
- Hamilton City Libraries
- Hamilton Zoo
- Waikato Museum
- Hamilton Park Cemetery
- Te Rapa Sportsdrome
- Enderley Community Centre
- Parts of Hamilton Gardens
Hamilton Mayor Paula Southgate said no-one welcomed having to make these “quite extraordinary and unprecedented” decisions.
This decision is not likely to go well with some local residents.
One resident to whom NewsViews spoke commented “I can understand the Council’s concerns to safeguard its staff, but this is going too far. When I can visit any retail store without any restriction, why am I being stopped from visiting for instance Hamilton Gardens, or the Museum?”
Namrita(who did not want her family name to be disclosed) felt the Council has simply gone ‘overboard’ in having taken this decision.
“What about those who cannot be vaccinated?” she laments.
More details about each Council facilities operating in Orange, will be made available on their website in coming days.
– from NewsViews
