A clutch of local board members remain unvaccinated in Auckland, and could soon be affected by a council vaccination mandate
Auckland Mayor Phil Goff says there are "four or five" members of the city's 21 local boards who are not vaccinated - and if the council decides to make vaccinations mandatory for staff, those elected officials would need to get jabbed or not be in direct contact with officials or the public.
"They would have to do their job in a different way," he said "with online rather than direct contact with staff or the public".
All councillors on the city's governing body had received either one or both vaccine doses and Thursday's council meeting was briefed on consultation with staff over introducing a vaccine mandate. Chief executive Jim Stabback said the council was encouraging "the proliferation of vaccination through the workforce" while further measures were considered.
Goff said the outstanding local board members would not face pressure politically but senior staff would be "giving that encouragement and saying why it's important for our elected representatives to be part of the solution." There are 149 local board members in total.
Councillors spoke of their own involvement in community vaccination drives, and the meeting heard the council's community facilities had been used extensively for the public health drive across the city.
In a Ports of Auckland briefing to the council meeting, a spokesperson said the port company had six remaining workers whom it was working with through their personal situations regarding vaccines.
On the city's vaccination status, Goff said the three district health boards had reached 93 (Auckland), 91 (Waitematā) and 88 percent for first doses and he remained hopeful the Government would be able to look to move all of Auckland to the red status under the new traffic light framework in December.
While it would take effort to get the region to 90 percent double doses of vaccines, he hoped there would be flexibility before Christmas for change if it came up slightly short - aided by rapid antigen testing and other continued health measures.
"Reading between the lines of the Prime Minister's language and body language, they would really like to have some system whereby we could have some family reunification by Christmas."
Goff joked it was in his self-interest, also, as he had children and grandchildren beyond Auckland's borders.
"We would certainly like to think there will be relaxation within the [city] borders and a slightly relaxed approach across the borders.
"If the borders do not come down because vaccination rates in our two neighbouring areas - Northland and Waikato - have not reached the target, we would feel a bit aggrieved."
The Government was needing voluntary compliance in this phase of the fight against the virus. On possible freedoms for families to gather for Christmas with and beyond borders, the mayor said "They will be keen to relax it just as much as they can do."
"If it's 88.9 percent and it's Christmas Eve, I think there would be some flexibility."
