Vaccine passes will still be required to access Council facilities when Tairāwhiti moves to an Orange setting at 11:59pm on 30 December.

Local theatres and the library will increase maximum capacity to 150 and up to 12 customers will be allowed in the Council customer service area to maintain the required 1m distancing.

There won’t be any changes to requirements for summer camping at Orange, with Council permits and vaccination passes required. Campers are also urged to camp within the designated zones and take their rubbish with them when they leave.

Chief Executive Nedine Thatcher Swann says the number one priority remains the safety, health and wellbeing of staff, customers and the wider community.

“We intend to continue with our serious approach to protecting our health system, our most vulnerable people and limiting transmission of COVID-19 in our community,” she said.

The Olympic Pool complex will open seven days a week at Orange but will remain restricted to 100 people at any one time.

The outdoor pools will offer recreational swimming as well as lane swimming and the hydroslide will be open. Access to outdoor areas will be available in two-hour sessions (10-12pm 12:30-2:30pm, 3-5pm) with cleaning between each session.

“Anyone who enters the pools, library, theatres and our customer services area will still need to record their visit for contact tracing, have their vaccine pass scanned, wear a mask and maintain social distance of 1m,” said Ms Thatcher Swann.

“Our continued positive wastewater samples are a reminder that COVID-19 is present in our community and we must not be complacent.”

Customer services in Te Puia Springs and the Bright Street toilet will stay closed at Orange. Other public toilets will remain open in our district with a QR code to scan and an additional level of cleaning service carried out. Parking charges will still apply in our CBD with Saturdays free until 8 January.

“Council will continue to review our own guidelines regularly in line with the local government sector and national guidance.”

Get your vaccine pass to download onto your smartphone or print it out at any pharmacy.

For more information on Council facilities, visit our website.

© Scoop Media