Covid-19 vaccine passes will not be needed for people to enter Dunedin City Council facilities from Tuesday, April 5.
It means facilities such as Dunedin libraries, Moana Pool, Toitu Otago Settlers Museum and the Dunedin Public Art Gallery will again be open to both vaccinated and unvaccinated people.
Council chief executive Sandy Graham said the decision came after new risk assessments that followed the Government’s announcement on March 23 that it would lift most vaccine mandates from next week.
"We haven’t made these changes lightly and the ongoing health and safety of staff and our community has been front and centre in our thinking," she said.
"We are confident high vaccination rates mean we’re now well prepared for this next step in the Covid-19 response."
The policy requiring vaccine passes was introduced at the start of December last year for an initial period of three months and then continued while under review.
It applied to council staff, contractors, volunteers and elected representatives.
The policy resulted in Cr Lee Vandervis being issued a three-month trespass notice after he tried to attend a council meeting in the Municipal Chambers without showing a vaccine pass.
School pupils have not needed a vaccine pass to enter council facilities since mid March.
Ms Graham said yesterday people entering council buildings would still have to wear masks.
Council meetings would continue to be held online for now.
