Covid: Crystal Palace ground Selhurst Park becomes mass vaccination centre
Crystal Palace Football Club is to open its gates to the public once more as it becomes one of the latest NHS vaccination sites, officials have announced.
The club donated Selhurst Park, its home ground in south east London, to the NHS to be used as a vaccination centre.
The Glaziers Lounge in the Main Stand has been adapted to accommodate NHS staff, volunteers and local residents who have been invited to get their Covid-19 vaccination.
Colchester United's Jobserve Community Stadium is also to become a vaccination centre, the NHS in England said.
The clubs are among a number of new mass vaccination centres which came online on Thursday.
There are now 90 large vaccination centres, 192 sites run by High Street pharmacies, more than 1,000 GP-led vaccination services and 250 hospital “hubs” delivering jabs.
Professor Stephen Powis, NHS national medical director said: “The NHS vaccination programme, the biggest in health service history, is off to a strong start with more than nine million jabs delivered across England.
“I’ve seen first-hand what getting vaccinated means to those who are jabbed, their families and loved ones, and as more supply becomes available, we are able to expand the scale of this huge programme.
“These new sites will mean even more people live nearby to a large-scale vaccination centre or community pharmacy, which along with the incredible work of our local GPs, pharmacists and their healthcare teams, will allow us to rapidly vaccinate the most vulnerable in our society.”
Dr Agnelo Fernandes, lead GP for Croydon, said: “Our teams have put in a mammoth effort to get this vaccination centre up and running and we’re incredibly grateful for the facilities and time provided by Crystal Palace Football Club to ensure it is a success.”