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Ashton Gate to become ‘super-vaccination’ centre
Ashton Gate will become one of seven “super-vaccination” centres opening soon across England.
It has been an open secret for some time that the stadium will be used in the fight against the coronavirus, but it has now finally been revealed what the home of Bristol Bears and Bristol City will become for much of this year.
Staffed by NHS employees and volunteers, the super-vaccination centre within the south concourse will be used in addition to vaccinations taking place in GP surgeries.
is needed now More than ever
Tens of thousands of people every week could receive Covid-19 vaccines at the stadium, with vaccinations starting early next week.
Ashton Gate managing director, Mark Kelly, said that the stadium “is proud to support the delivery of this vaccination programme”.
He said: “The stadium sits in the heart of the community and to be able to help in whatever way we can is a real honour.”
Matchdays will continue as they have been throughout the pandemic, with the vaccination programme being able to continue on site even when fans are able to return to watch football, rugby and music events at Ashton Gate.
Vaccinations will only be issued to those that have received their NHS vaccination invite with the vaccination centres operating strictly by appointment only.
Dr Tim Whittlestone, clinical lead for the NHS vaccination programme in Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire, said: “We are delighted to be able to roll out the next phase of the vaccination programme in partnership with the Ashton Gate stadium.
“Our shared priority is a safe and effective roll-out for everyone in Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire.”
Ashton Gate Stadium is the home to Bristol City and Bristol Bears, with games being played behind closed doors since the start of the pandemic. Photo: Martin Booth
Ashton Gate is one of seven English vaccination centres alongside London’s Excel, Manchester Tennis & Football Centre, Robertson House in Stevenage, Epsom Downs Racecourse in Surrey, Millennium Point in Birmingham and Newcastle’s Centre for Life.
Bristol City Council’s director of public health, Christina Gray, stressed that the Bristol centre “will not be open to members of the public but primarily to health and social care staff”.
“This is probably the most critical point we have been at,” Gray added. “This is grim, this is really grim and everyone has found this very difficult.
“The new variant, we don’t have any evidence if it’s more lethal, but because of its greater infectivity, it will infect more people, therefore more people will become seriously ill and more people will die.
“We have to get this vaccine out. The next few weeks and months are absolutely critical.”
Ashton Gate Stadium is one of the largest event spaces in the South West as well as being the home of two professional sports teams – photo: Bristol Sport
Main photo: Bristol Sport / YouTube
Read more: ‘Historic moment’ as Covid-19 vaccinations begin in Bristol
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