<https://www.rte.ie/author/822895-fergal-bowers/> By Fergal Bowers
Health Correspondent
There are to be 37 Covid-19 vaccination centres around the country, with at
least one in each county, according to new details published by Minister for
Health Stephen Donnelly.
He said that most of the centres are being constructed, some have already
been completed and all are expected to be open before they are needed.
The centres are based on population density and will have different opening
times.
At a briefing on the programme, Mr Donnelly said there will be five
vaccination centres in Cork, four in Dublin and two each in Kerry,
Tipperary, Westmeath, and Wicklow.
To date, 6,000 vaccinators have been trained.
At this point 1.8% of the population have been fully vaccinated and the
minister said Ireland was still in the early stage of the roll-out.
He said today was the start of vaccination moving to the general population
with those aged over 85.
Mr Donnelly said that once vaccine supplies increase, it will be possible to
do 250,000 vaccinations a week.
While currently vaccines are being administered in healthcare settings and
by GPs, many people will be offered their vaccination in one of the 37
centres, having self-registered online.
Minister Donnelly is due to brief the coalition leaders today on the
Government's Covid-19 vaccination plan.
The briefing comes ahead of this evening's pre-Cabinet meeting between the
Taoiseach Micheal Martin, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar and Climate Action Minister
Eamon Ryan.
List of Covid-19 vaccination sites
Carlow: The Seven Oaks Hotel
Cavan: Kilmore Hotel, Dublin Rd
Clare: West County Hotel, Limerick Road, Ennis.
Cork: Páirc Uí Chaoimh
City Hall Cork
MTU Campus Melbourne Building
Bantry PCC
Mallow GAA Club
Donegal: Letterkenny Institute of Technology
Dublin: Aviva Stadium
Citywest Convention Centre
Helix Theatre DCU
TU Dublin Campus
Galway: Galway Racecourse
Kerry: Killarney Sports & Leisure Centre
Kerry Sports Academy
Kildare: Punchestown Racecourse
Kilkenny: Cillin Hill Conference Centre
Laois: Midlands Park Hotel
Leitrim: Primary Care Centre, Carrick-on-Shannon
Limerick: Radisson Hotel, Ennis Road
Longford*: Longford Slashers GAA
Louth: Fairways Hotel, Haggardstown, Dundalk
Mayo: Breaffy House Resort, Castlebar
Meath: Simmonstown GAA Club Navan
Monaghan: Hillgrove Hotel
Offaly*: Faithful Field GAA Centre, Kilcormac
Roscommon: Abbey Hotel, Galway Roa
Sligo: Sligo IT Sports Arena
Tipperary: Abbeycourt Hotel, Nenagh
The Clonmel Park Hotel
Waterford: WIT Arena
Westmeath: International Arena AIT, Athlone
Bloomfield House Hotel, Mullingar
Wexford: Riverside Hotel Enniscorthy
Wicklow: Arklow Bay Hotel & Conference Centre
Charlesland Golf Club, Greystones
(*Contracts at these venues are to be finalised)
Call for use of larger locations in Covid-19 vaccinations
It comes as a GP in Dublin called for vaccinations to be administered in
spaces such as halls, which are larger than doctor surgeries.
Dr Stephen Murphy said his practice has 186 patients aged over 85 and when
this is extended to the over 70s, he has more than 2,500 patients, which
presents them with a logistical problem given issues around social
distancing and the 15-minute wait time needed after a vaccination is
delivered.
Speaking on RTÉ's Today with Claire Byrne, he said that GP surgeries should
be able to use larger venues, such as church halls, which could reduce the
time needed to vaccinate large numbers of patients.
Dr Murphy asked patients not to contact surgeries but said they will be
contacted by their doctor's office.
New figures show that 175,238 first doses of Covid-19 vaccines were
administered by the Health Service Executive up to last Friday.
There were also 89,999 second doses given.
It gives a total of 265,237 doses.
There were 10,321 AstraZeneca doses administered last week.
