Elected members likely to need vaccination

Auckland Council has been consulting with its 170 elected members on vaccination guidelines for the past two weeks.

Meanwhile, it has already (from December 3) made it mandatory for all employees, and others, such as contractors, who work for the council, to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19. Staff have until January 17 to comply with this, but will not be able to enter council workplaces until they are fully vaccinated.

Council heard from more than half its workforce during its staff consultation period. Of those who responded, 83 percent agreed with the proposed vaccination requirements, 14 percent disagreed and a further 3 percent didn’t know.

A survey carried out in October showed that 91 percent of council staff had either had one dose and intended to have their second, or were already fully vaccinated, while a further 2.1 percent indicated they intended to be vaccinated.

Elected member decision soon

It is likely that elected members will be required to follow suit. The proposal currently being consulted on is that only those Councillors and Local Board members who have received both doses of the Covid-19 vaccine will be able to come into council offices and meeting spaces. 

Under the proposed guidelines, those who are not vaccinated, or don’t want to disclose their vaccination status, will be asked to work remotely during periods where there is risk of the virus circulating in the community. Elected members who are not vaccinated will also be supported to participate in all meetings and workshops online.

It is expected the guidelines for elected members will be agreed by December 15. The guidelines will be reviewed every three months but it is antitipated they will be in place as long as required under the Government’s Covid-19 protection framework.

 Backstories October 25 (Opinion) and November 8