12,500 get Coronavirus jabs in East Riding
There's also going to be a new testing site in Bridlington
Last updated 13th Jan 2021
Around 12,500 coronavirus vaccination doses have been administered across the East Riding since roll outs began in December, while two new Yorkshire vaccination centres are set to open this month.
East Riding Council’s Health, Care and Wellbeing Overview and Scrutiny Committee heard the figure already included some second doses of the jab.
Council Associate Director of Public Health, Mike McDermott, told the committee having access to the more portable Oxford vaccine meant more GP surgeries could soon also be administering it.
Councillors also heard that the closest new large vaccination sites set to open in the coming weeks to East Yorkshire would be in Wakefield and York.
The sites are being created to speed up the roll out of vaccines to care home residents, the elderly and other most vulnerable groups.
They also heard residents in 23 East Riding care homes had already been vaccinated, while the most elderly and vulnerable to coronavirus remain the priority for the roll out.
Mr McDermott said coronavirus testing in the local area was also set to expand with the upcoming opening of new sites in Bridlington and Goole.
He added the council had helped deal with around 50 outbreaks of the virus in schools, care homes and elsewhere from October to December.
The council officer said:
“We’re aiming to do 30,000 coronavirus tests between now and March, focusing on critical workers who need to go into work.
“We’re looking to open new community testing sites in Bridlington and Goole by the end of the week or next Monday.
“Bishop Burton College is also operating its own testing with government support and we’re looking at working with them on that, as well as with other schools setting up lateral flow testing for staff.
“There’s also talks to set up a pilot testing scheme in our three special schools.
“We’re also working with the military to offer a site at Leconfield for police officers, fire fighters and other emergency services staff.
“There’s plans to increase access to vaccines for NHS staff, as well as those in care homes and residents, we’re pushing to get doses to homes as quickly as possible.
“In the last couple of months we’ve seen that once the virus gets into somewhere like a care home, it spreads rapidly.
“I think opening up GP practices for vaccines would negate the lead for a large vaccine centre locally.
“Staff in 47 homes are due to be vaccinated, through the hospital hub at Castle Hill.
“A total of 612 residents and around 1,000 staff have been vaccinated as of Monday.
“The plan is that all residents and staff are vaccinated by the end of January.”