THE dates for when mass coronavirus vaccination centres are opening in north and mid Essex have been confirmed by NHS bosses.
Chelmsford City Racecourse
The racecourse, officially opened as vaccine centre this morning.
The racecourse tweeted: "Chelmsford City Racecourse is proud to announce that as of today, it will be serving as one of the NHS’s new vaccination centres supporting the fight against the coronavirus pandemic."
Colchester United's stadium
Colchester JobServe Community Stadium will be running as a vaccine centre from tomorrow (Tuesday, February 2).
Tim Waddington, general manager of Colchester United, said: “At the very start of the pandemic, we offered the stadium as a venue for whatever it could be used for by the NHS. “We have supported the NHS by hosting training programmes and Covid-19 testing - we’re delighted to now see vaccinations starting here.”
Clacton Hospital
Clacton Hospital, in Tower Road, is opening as a vaccine centre on Sunday (February 7).
The sites will be administering the jab to people in the top four priority groups including those over 70, the clinically extremely vulnerable, and health and care workers.
Each centre can vaccinate hundreds of people a day and thousands a week.
This will enable the vaccination programme to expand as further vaccine supplies become available.
A spokesman for Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust said it is too early to tell how long the vaccination centres will be running for at present.
Colchester councillor David Willetts said: "Councillors are delighted that the Community Stadium will be used for the large-scale vaccination centre for the Colchester area."
He said it will enable a rapid rollout of the vaccine to priority groups.
"The vaccination programme will also continue at the hospital, the primary care centre, certain GP surgeries and pharmacies in the borough, which still might be more convenient for some residents."
Colchester's MP Will Quince is urging residents to be patient, and wait for the NHS to contact them directly.
He said: "Please wait to be invited.
"Vaccinations will take place through invitations via the national booking service.
"Our mass vaccination centre is going to be key in the local fight against coronavirus, capable of vaccinating hundreds of people a day and thousands of people each week."
The other new mass vaccination centres opening this week in the region are at:
■ The Cliffs Pavilion, Southend-on-Sea
■ Former Riverwalk School,
Bury St Edmunds
■ Alastair Farquharson Centre, Thurrock Community Hospital
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