A NEW MASS vaccination centre will open in Caerphilly county borough on Saturday.
Previously, the council's headquarters at Penallta House has been used as a vaccination hub, but from this weekend Newbridge Leisure Centre will become the county's vaccine site.
The site was agreed by the council and Aneurin Bevan University Health Board to provide an increased capacity of vaccinations.
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It will be the sixth mass vaccination centre in Gwent, with two in Newport, and others in Cwmbran, Abertillery and Abergavenny.
Leader of Council, Cllr Philippa Marsden welcomed the move.
“This is very positive news for the whole community and we are pleased to be working closely with our health colleagues to facilitate the roll-out of this life saving vaccination programme,” she said.
“We have transformed the leisure centre into a mass vaccination centre in a very short timescale and I would like to thank all involved for their efforts.
“Our leisure centres are closed at present, so this is an excellent opportunity for us to offer this facility for alternative beneficial community use during lockdown.
“We are not sure when we will be able to reopen our leisure centres at present and we are conscious that this decision may impact on any future reopening of this particular site, but we will keep the community informed and updated as the situation unfolds.”
Caerphilly’s Senedd Member, Hefin David, said: “I welcome the fact that this new, larger centre is open, which represents the rapid progress being made with the vaccine in our community.
“With GPs and mobile units now also providing vaccinations we will continue to see sustained increases in the numbers vaccinated.”
Judith Paget, of Aneurin Bevan University Health Board, said: “We are delighted to be opening the centre at Newbridge as one of our mass vaccination centres.
“This will support our programme to vaccinate as many people as quickly and safely as possible.
“We would like to thank our partners in the local authority who have helped to make this possible.”
All eligible residents will be contacted with an appointment, so there is no need to ring your GP, health board or the council to book your vaccination.
For more information visit: phw.nhs.wales/topics/immunisation-and-vaccines/covid-19-vaccination-information/
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