Coronavirus: Walk-in vaccination centres start on Thursday

 The operation of walk-in vaccination centres, available only for Gesy beneficiaries, will “facilitate residents’ access to vaccination”, the health ministry said on Wednesday.

Five walk-in vaccination centres will start operation on Thursday, a practice that is already implemented abroad, the health ministry said.

People who choose to get vaccinated at the walk-in centres will receive the Pfizer vaccine against coronavirus.

Available only on weekdays between 8am to 1pm, the centres will operate at the Latsia health centre in Nicosia, the Linopetra health centre in Limassol, at the vaccination centre at Larnaca’s port, and at Paphos general hospital and Famagusta general hospital.

The centres will operate on a first come first served basis, hence people will not be required to book an appointment through the vaccination portal.

However, the centres are targeting people who have not been vaccinated, hence those who have received the first dose will not be able to complete their vaccination at those centres.

For now, Gesy beneficiaries will be able to visit the walk-in centres, with the provision to extend this practise to non-Gesy beneficiaries in the future, the ministry said.

People who visit the locations for vaccination must carry identification documents, such as ID or a passport.

The announcement clarified that already booked appointments at the location of the walk-ins will not be affected.

Meanwhile, the move to set up mobile units to vaccinate hotel staff is paying off, with 1908 staff from more than 100 hotels around the island expressing interest to receive the jab, the ministry said.

Between Monday and Wednesday, another 500 hotel employees expressed interest to be vaccinated, bringing the total number of staff that will receive the vaccine at the mobile units to 1908, Health Ministry spokeswoman Margarita Kyriacou said.

“The interest of hotel staff to get vaccinated through mobile units is increasing,” Kyriacou said.

On Wednesday, the mobile units were operating in Paphos and Platres.

Recent data by the ministry showed that 67.5 per cent of the eligible population has received at least a first dose of a coronavirus vaccine, while 57.5 per cent have completed their vaccination.