Coronavirus: Brisk take-up at walk-in vaccination centres (Update 2)

Encouraged by the public’s response as it seeks to step vaccination coverage, the health ministry said on Thursday it will be sending greater quantities of Covid vaccines to the five walk-in vaccination clinics after all 552 jabs made available were taken up quickly on their first day of operation.

In a written statement, minister Michalis Hadjipantelas said the response to the new units – one per district operating on a first come first served basis without appointments within existing vaccination centres – had been positive.

The number of people who had turned up far exceeded expectations, giving grounds for optimism as to the future, he said.

The minister acknowledged that the number of vaccines — about 100 – sent to each walk-in clinic had been low in order to ensure that there was no waste on the first day. Given the keen interest and the quick take-up, additional vaccines were supplied, whereas from tomorrow, bigger quantities will be sent so as to cater for more people, he said.

The ministry is also considering extending the operating hours and opening additional walk-in centres, he added.

A health ministry official said 150 jabs were administered in Limassol, 100 each in Nicosia and Famagusta and 101 each Paphos and Larnaca.

More than half of the vaccines were taken up within the first 90 minutes of the centres opening at 8.00 am.

The walk-in centres are operating at the Latsia health centre in Nicosia, Linopetra health centre in Limassol, the vaccination centre at Larnaca port and at Paphos general hospital and Famagusta general hospital.

They are open from 8am to 1pm, Monday to Friday and are currently offering only Pfizer vaccines.

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

For now, only Gesy beneficiaries are able to visit the walk-in centres, with the ministry this may be extended to non-Gesy beneficiaries in the future.

Evagoras Tambouris, the acting director of hospital services told CyBC earlier on Thursday that given the keen interest authorities were looking at issues such as where the public would wait pending receiving their jab.

The ministry reminded the public that people who visit the locations for vaccination must carry identification documents, such as ID or a passport.