SkyCity mandates Covid-19 vaccine certificate for entry

Ahearne emphasised that the CVC requirement is the necessary to halt the spread of Covid-19.

“As one of the biggest entertainment venues in New Zealand, and a significant employer in New Zealand, we need to take measures to help keep Kiwis safe,” said Ahearne.

“While we have existing safety controls in place to mitigate the risk of exposure to Covid-19, public health information and research confirm that Covid-19 vaccines will provide the best protection for our staff and customers.”

Ahearne said that SkyCity came to the decision after running a risk assessment, and added that the mandate will apply to both staff and customers.

“As the result of running a risk assessment process SkyCity expects the CVC requirement will cover all employees (around 2,900), customers, contractors and visitors at our New Zealand sites to protect them from the harmful effects of Covid-19, as well as minimising the risk of Covid-19 transmission within our sites, workplace, and the wider community,” continued Ahearne.

“Very early on we set the target of 100% of all eligible SkyCity employees being fully vaccinated and, over the past six months, we’ve been strongly encouraging our people to get vaccinated at the earliest opportunity.”

SkyCity operations have been significantly impacted by Covid-19 restrictions across New Zealand. SkyCity's casino properties have shut as temporary lockdowns have been put in place, including locations in Hamilton and Auckland.

“SkyCity has been significantly impacted by the August Delta outbreak, particularly in Auckland where our flagship property has been closed for 72 days,” Ahearne concluded.

“Supporting the vaccination targets set by the Government is going to help our industry reopen, stay open and recover faster.”

Last month, Rob Campbell stepped down from his role of chairman at SkyCity.