The South Island's biggest New Year's music festival is insisting people be fully vaccinated to attend.
In a post on Facebook, organisers of the Rhythm and Alps music festival, near Wanaka, said the New Zealand Government had stated the use of vaccine passports would be mandated at large events and would most likely start from November.
"This is a positive development towards ensuring that R&A will go ahead - if you wish to attend you will need to be vaccinated," it said.
Organisers are urging festival-goers to get vaccinated now, not in December.
"If you no longer wish to attend the festival under these terms, you are able to resell your ticket on our official resale platform."
The mandate has ruffled some feathers, with a number of people sharing their outrage.
"This is disgusting and a slippery slope to communism. god help us," one comment said.
"This is absolutely disgusting we the people shld (sic) all stand together vaccinated or unvaccinated and not even bother going to these events if they dont make $ rules might change," said another.
"Absolutely Criminal (sic) to coerce innocent Youths into getting an experimental injection," a third wrote.
Every year, the Rhythm and Alps festival sells out. About 24,000 people are expected to attend.
See which district or city council currently leads the nation in the proportion of eligible people fully vaccinated.
| Rank | Change | City or district | Fully vaccinated | One dose only | Unvaccinated |
|---|
(Please note the interactive above will update automatically when new data is released.)
The South Island was leading the way in Covid-19 vaccinations at the last count.
The districts of Dunedin (59.6 per cent), Marlborough (59.4 per cent), Nelson (58.7 per cent), Central Otago (58.6 per cent), Kaikōura (57.8 per cent) and Tasman (56.6 per cent) make up the top six spots on the list.
Dunedin was sitting in the top spot on Tuesday after starting at fourth on the list when the initiative began on Saturday.
It also currently has the third-lowest population of unvaccinated people at 13 per cent, behind Queenstown-Lakes (9.4 per cent) and Wellington (10.4 per cent).
Meanwhile, a campaign aiming to make Canterbury the most vaccinated region in the country is ramping up.
Fush, based in Wigram, is offering free food to anyone who gets vaccinated at the Ngā Hau e Whā National Marae clinic at 250 Pages Rd, Wainoni, this Saturday.
The centre is open from 9.30am to 4.30pm.
Anton Matthews, of Fush, and his team will be onsite from 10am to 3pm.
Police found two people dead in the Roseneath home after a welfare check.
