Covid vaccines: Bangor Cathedral used as vaccination centre

People attend their vaccination appointments inside the cathedral

A north Wales cathedral has become the first in Wales to be used as a mass vaccination centre.

Bangor Cathedral is being used as a venue to immunise residents of Gwynedd and Anglesey against Covid-19.

Until the end of September, NHS staff will vaccinate patients five days a week and hand it back to Church in Wales priests for the other two.

The mass vaccination centre for the area was held in Bangor University's Canolfan Brailsford until last week.

It was initially used as a field hospital but no patients were treated at the temporary unit.

But more than 85,000 vaccinations were administered before work commenced to turn it back into the university's gym and fitness centre.

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Bangor Cathedral is one of the oldest sites of Christian worship in Wales, but the wooden church pews have been moved to one side and replaced by tables and screens.

The NHS has agreed to clear the Grade I-listed building and turn it back into a church every Wednesday and Sunday to allow services to take place.

"I've walked up and down Bangor High Street hundreds of times, but never been inside the cathedral," said Tomos Jones, from Groeslon, who received his second vaccination on Tuesday.

"It's a beautiful building and a very different venue to the last vaccination centre."

Health board director Ffion Johnstone said the ancient building has a "wonderful calming atmosphere to it".

"It's quite nice to think that it has provided comfort to people's spiritual well-being for years, and now is helping with their physical health," she said.

Bangor Cathedral is the first in Wales to be used as a mass vaccination centre

Rt Rev Andy John, the Bishop of Bangor, said: "We're going to have to work really hard because we will be having Sunday services as well as the vaccination clinics during the week.

"The cathedral is at the very heart of the city and using the building in this way is a way of serving our community."

Cathedrals and large churches have already been used for the vaccination programme in England, including at Salisbury Cathedral where people have been treated to recitals of organ music while waiting for their jabs.

Ffion Johnstone, of Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, said: "Community rates of Covid are increasing quickly across Gwynedd and Anglesey so it is really important that everyone receives their vaccination, this will help protect yourself and your loved ones."

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