Coronavirus: Jab appointments for the over-90s announced

The health ministry announced on Saturday that coronavirus vaccination appointments for those over 90 will be available from Monday morning.

Some 5,448 jab appointments for this age group can be made via the vaccination portal on the Gesy website from 9.00am on Monday. The inoculations will be taking place between January 27 and February 5.

The health ministry announced changes to its vaccination portal earlier this week to prioritise those over 90. The decision follows mounting protests over the vaccination rollout that, in its first current phase, it was limited to residents and staff at care homes, front line health professionals and those aged over 80.

Due to many complaints that people in their 90s were not yet vaccinated, the ministry said it would no longer accept all applications from those aged 80 and above but will instead restrict applications to the 90 and above group, before then moving to those aged 88-89, 86-87 and so on.

So far 15,322 people have received the first dose of the vaccine with a total of 7,153 inoculations taking place between 16-22 January.

The vaccinations are carried out by 11 units at nine centres island wide.

The ministry said one more vaccination centre will begin its operation at Linopetra, in the Limassol district, while more units are being made available for vaccinations at Latsia, Lakatamia and Paphos. The ministry has also extended the operation hours in Larnaca and added more days in Lakatamia and Famagusta.

From the 7,153 inoculations between 16-22 January, 2,057 were administered to residents and staff of care homes and to health professionals on the frontline at public and private hospitals and clinics island wide. These groups got the second dose of the vaccine while 5,096 were vaccinated for the first time.