Covid-19: Thousands queue across NI for Big Jab Weekend

Northern Ireland's regional Covid-19 vaccination centres are offering first doses to over-18s this weekend for the first time since July.

The Department of Health hopes the Big Jab Weekend campaign will increase vaccination rates amid rising cases.

This weekend will be the last chance for adults to get their first vaccination at one of the mass centres.

People aged 16 and 17 will be able to access the centres for their first vaccine dose until the end of August.

Mass vaccination centres are set to wind down operations soon, but walk-in pop-up clinics and some pharmacies will continue to offer vaccination services to over-16s.

In Belfast throughout the day hundreds queued in the rain outside the vaccination centre at the SSE Arena.

The Western Trust said that 1,520 first doses had been administered today across its three vaccination centres.

In Ballymena, nurse Sinead O'Kane said that persistent rain had not stopped long queues all day outside the clinic at Seven Towers Leisure Centre.

"I'm delighted to see the crowds," she said.

"It's brilliant to see so many people coming for their vaccine particularly the number of young people."

Early birds take their perch

by BBC Newsline's Mark Simpson, at the SSE Arena

The one thing the Department of Health was hoping for was bright, early morning sunshine to encourage people to go out and get vaccinated.

Instead it was dull and damp in Belfast.

Nonetheless, more than 100 people were waiting in the rain outside the SSE Arena - where more than 300,000 doses of the vaccine have been administered since March - when doors opened at 08:00.

The first people arrived more than an hour earlier, with an umbrella.

In Ballymena, there was a queue most of the morning outside the vaccination centre at Seven Towers Leisure Centre.

The mid-morning queue at Ballymena's vaccination centre

The Department of Health reported four more coronavirus-related deaths and another 1,612 cases of Covid-19 today.

The department said a total of 2,401,296 Covid-19 vaccines had now been administered.

On Friday, the department reported the highest number of coronavirus cases in a single day since the pandemic began.

The Big Jab Weekend has been organised with mass vaccination centres open on Saturday and Sunday in Belfast, Londonderry, Craigavon, Enniskillen and Ballymena. Omagh's vaccination centre is open on Saturday only.

More than 150,000 adults in Northern Ireland have yet to be vaccinated.

Northern Ireland has the lowest vaccination rate in the UK with around 14% of the adult population still to get a first dose.

Ballymena United footballer Scott Whiteside was among those getting vaccinated on Saturday

The mass vaccination centres are:

• SSE Arena, 2 Queens Quay, Belfast - Saturday and Sunday, 08:00 BST to 18:00

• Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast - Saturday and Sunday, 08:30 to 19:00

• Seven Towers Leisure Centre, Ballymena - Saturday and Sunday, 09:00 to 17:30

• South Lake Leisure Centre, Craigavon - Saturday and Sunday, 08:30 to 17:00

• The Foyle Arena, Londonderry - Saturday and Sunday, 09:00 to 19:00

• Omagh Leisure Centre - Saturday 09:00 to 17:00 and closed Sunday

• Lakeland Forum, Enniskillen - Saturday and Sunday, 09:00 to 19:00

Patricia Donnelly, head of Northern Ireland's vaccination programme, said there would still be opportunities for people to be vaccinated when mass vaccination centres wind down.

However, she said these opportunities would become "inevitably more limited" as the focus of the programme switched to booster jabs.

Maggie Magowan, lead nurse at the SSE Arena vaccination centre in Belfast, encouraged over-18s to "come down for the last time".

"For anybody who is over 18 who has not yet come forward this is the last time that we're offering the chance of a first dose of a vaccine in this centre," she said.

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Earlier this week, the vice chancellors of Queen's University Belfast and Ulster University said they strongly encouraged all staff and students to take up the vaccine.

"Our shared focus is on the resumption of a full on-campus teaching and research experience and we look forward to re-connecting with staff and students," they said.

"We welcome the Northern Ireland vaccination programme's Big Jab Weekend initiative to boost vaccination uptake and make it as easy as possible to take this simple step."

The Big Jab Weekend campaign is part of efforts to increase vaccination rates amid a rise in coronavirus cases

The first and deputy first ministers have urged everyone eligible to get their first vaccination this weekend.

"The vaccine is key in allowing us to return to all of those aspects of life we hold dear but more importantly, the vaccine is saving lives," said Paul Givan. 

"And, the more people who are vaccinated, the better equipped we are to deal with the virus."

Michelle O'Neill said they wanted to see as many people as possible vaccinated.

"The majority of people in hospital with Covid-19 are those that have not been vaccinated so I would urge everyone to come forward and get their first dose as soon as possible," she added.

Chief Medical Officer Sir Michael McBride had said the high number of Covid-19 cases reported on Friday was "very concerning".

"Whilst we know only a small percentage of the individuals who have tested positive will end up in hospital, a small percentage of a large number is still a large number who will end up in hospital," Sir Michael said.

He welcomed the fact people were still coming forward for testing and urged anyone who has not been vaccinated to do so this weekend.

About 86% of the adult population in Northern Ireland have so far had one dose.

Sir Michael said that figure would rise to 90% if 52,000 more people got vaccinated.