Covid-19 vaccination hubs to open in Bath and Salisbury

The vaccination hubs at Bath Racecourse and Salisbury City Hall are expected to open on Monday

Bath Racecourse and Salisbury City Hall are being transformed into large-scale coronavirus vaccination hubs.

People eligible for a Covid-19 vaccine who live within a 45-minute drive of each venue will be contacted in order to book an appointment.

The centres are due to open on Monday and will initially focus on people aged 80 and older.

Vaccination hubs are also operating at Taunton Racecourse in Somerset and Bristol's Ashton Gate Stadium.

Residents living within 45 minutes of Salisbury City Hall will be contacted to book an appointment at the venue

Gill May, director of nursing and quality at Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire Clinical Commissioning Group, said she was "delighted".

"Getting these two venues up and running...will allow us to provide even more opportunities for people to get vaccinated in addition to what is already being offered at our GP-led sites.

"We know that many people in line for the vaccine are still very much mobile and also incredibly eager to be vaccinated and we hope these new venues will help us to carry out more vaccinations and ultimately protect more families from the heartbreak that is so often associated with coronavirus," she said.

The hubs will vaccinate those over the age of 80, then 70, as well as frontline health and care workers.

Liam Johnson, executive director of Bath Racecourse, said he hoped the site would be of benefit to many people in the community

Philip Whitehead, leader of Wiltshire Council, said: "We are proud to play our part in this monumental effort to roll out the vaccine as quickly and safely as possible."

Dr Bruce Laurence, director of public health, Bath & North East Somerset Council, said: "This centre will make a huge difference to our communities, saving lives, reducing pressure on the health service and, eventually, helping us all reclaim our freedoms."