COLCHESTER United’s stadium was today due to officially open as a mass coronavirus vaccination centre.

The Jobserve Community Stadium, based off the A12, is one of six large-scale centres to be opening in the east of England this week.

Chelmsford City Racecourse opened as a mass vaccine centre yesterday, and Clacton Hospital, in Tower Road, will be opening as one this Sunday.

Each centre can vaccinate hundreds of people a day and thousands a week.

Tim Waddington, Colchester United’s general manager, said he is pleased the stadium can help facilitate the vaccine rollout.

He said: “There are potential dates where there will be vaccinations and a football match running at the same time but I don’t see how this could be an issue, especially as fans cannot come and watch matches.

“If that changes, then we will deal with the logistics.

“It’s just important vaccines can be provided at the stadium as it made for thousands of people to use.

“The bulk of Colchester should be able to use the stadium.”

The vaccinations are taking place on the concourses beneath the seating and a walk through system is in place.

Colchester councillor David Willetts said councillors are delighted the stadium is being used as a mass vaccination centre.

He said: “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.”

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.

This will enable the vaccination programme to expand as further vaccine supplies become available.

A spokesman for Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust, which is co-ordinating the large vaccination centres across mid and south Essex and Suffolk and north east Essex, said it is too early to tell how long the vaccination centres will be running for.

“It will depend on how many people we can vaccinate each day,” she added.

The number of volunteers helping at the mass vaccination centres has not yet been announced.

Will Quince, Colchester’s MP, is reminding residents to remain patient and wait to be contacted directly by the NHS about their vaccinations.

He said: “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 large-scale vaccination centres opening in the east this week are at the Cliffs Pavilion in Southend, former Riverwalk School in Bury St Edmunds and Alastair Farquharson Centre in Thurrock Community Hospital.

Chelmsford City 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.”