Bay Venues have announced they now require vaccination passes for all of their facilities in accordance with the Covid-19 Protection Framework.

CEO Chad Hooker says the decision was made for the wellbeing of their staff, the wider community and the local health system.

'Many of our facilities are complex, interconnected spaces and it's inevitable that a range of people will mix with each other in common areas,” says Chad.

'The most practical way to manage the spread of Covid-19 across all of these environments, and to ensure the wellbeing of our staff and customers, is to apply a consistent approach based on the lowest risk to all.

'This approach is also supported by risk assessments that were undertaken internally.”

Chad says it's important to highlight that under the Covid-19 Protection Framework, public facilities can choose to operate with My Vaccine Pass requirements.

'It's important for residents to know that we can choose these requirements and we have done so based on the current information available to us.

'The rules for Covid-19 continue to change rapidly and regularly. We are monitoring developments closely and will update our dedicated web page and communicate directly with our customers if anything changes in future.”

Bay Venues entry requirements, as a Tauranga City Council organisation, are in line with council's approach to their other public facilities, including the city's four libraries.

Commission chair Anne Tolley says the vaccination entry requirement has been made to protect the community by limiting opportunities for Covid-19 to spread.

'In making this decision there were many factors to consider,” says Anne. 'We want to keep facilities open to everyone, but we also have a responsibility to keep our people safe and protect the public.

'Libraries and community facilities attract a significant number of people who are vulnerable to the Covid-19 virus, and after consideration and a risk assessment, we believe this is the right approach to take.”

The vaccination requirement is also aligned with other large cities across New Zealand who are also requiring My Vaccine Passes for entry into their public facilities. For up-to-date information, visit: www.bayvenues.co.nz/covid-19