Covid: Isle of Man vaccination venue changed for 2,000 people

The airport vaccination hub opened in January

The location of more than 2,000 coronavirus vaccination appointments in July is being changed, the government has said.

Jabs scheduled to be administered on 10, 11, 17 and 18 July at Ronaldsway Airport hub will now be given at the Douglas venue on Market Street.

The government said it planned to "start scaling down" the use of the airport hub.

Appointment times for vaccinations remain unchanged.

The change in venue is the result of an anticipated further easing of the island's border restrictions in late June, which is expected to increase footfall through the airport.

More than 61,000 adults on the island have now been given at least one dose of the vaccine

The island's border has been closed to most non-residents since March 2020 and there has been limited air travel from the island since.

Health Minister David Ashford said: "The changes with the borders will result in the airport seeing increased traffic, meaning that the throughput at the hub will need to be reduced.

"It will remain possible to continue with the site as a smaller hub in the future if required."

The rollout of the island's vaccination programme has slowed down this week as the government awaits more supplies of the Moderna and Pfizer jabs.

More than 28,000 people have now received both doses of the vaccine, while more than 61,000 have been given at least one dose.