Guildford's Casino nightclub could be vaccination centre
The Casino nightclub in Guildford could be run as a vaccination centre.
The club, in Onslow Street, reportedly saw a drop in customers when Covid passports were introduced for nightclubs, and has offered to be a site to help with the “hard to reach” younger population.
A meeting of Guildford Borough Council’s overview and scrutiny committee on Tuesday (March 1) heard that vaccination rates in Guildford were around the average for Surrey. In total in the borough council’s area 89,206 have had their booster or third dose.
Councillor George Potter (Liberal Democrat, Burpham) asked what was being done to reach younger people, suggesting pop up sites at universities.
Helen Barnsley, senior specialist in public health, said a site had been set up at the farmers’ market in Guildford on Tuesday (March 1), saying work was being done to reach people who hadn’t yet had a first, second or booster dose of the vaccine and to “bring the vaccinations to the people”.
She said she had had conversations with the GP federation and with Surrey County Council about suitable locations for pop up vaccinations, saying the university and The Hive had both been considered.
Ms Barnsley added: “The Casino have offered to be a vaccination site, which I think would be a very good way to get those hard to reach people.
“The manager of The Casino, when Covid passports were required, saw a drop in his clientele, because they they didn’t have those Covid passports.
“So it’s something that he has offered, and I think it could be quite an interesting site to use for vaccinations.”
According to government data, in Guildford, 65.6 per cent of people have had their booster or third dose compared to in 58.3 per cent in England and 66.1 in Surrey.
For second doses the numbers are 79.6 per cent in Guildford, 75 per cent in England and 80.3 per cent in Surrey, while 84.8 per cent in Guildford have had their first dose compared to 80 per cent in England and 85 per cent in Surrey.
At the same meeting, councillors also discussed another vaccination site in Guildford, with G-Live having been used to deliver 175,000 vaccinations during the pandemic.
The contract for the site, which hosts theatre shows, concerts and conferences, has been extended for a further three years with the company managing the venue, HQ Theatres.
A ten-year contract was signed in August 2011 for which the borough council was for that period paying £328,596 a year.
The latest negotiated contract will see the council pay £275,000 a year. Any surplus above the venue’s break even point is divided between the operator and the council, with the council getting a 20 per cent share.