Hundreds of NI pharmacies to provide vaccines

57,000 contacted Ofcom over GMB blasts

THE rollout of Northern Ireland’s vaccine programme has taken a huge step forward as it was announced community pharmacies would soon be providing the jab.

More than 300 community pharmacies have already signed up to join the Covid-19 vaccination programme from the end of this month, Health Minister Robin Swann said.

The news came as no new deaths were announced yesterday.

The plan will see hundreds of community pharmacies provide vaccine jabs to members of the public.

The official launch of the rollout to community pharmacies will be on March

30, although it is expected that many will have started

DELIGHT Swann before then.

The Health Minister said: “I am delighted to confirm yet another positive development in our drive to protect the people of Northern Ireland from Covid-19.

“Community pharmacists are an integral part of the health and social care family. Their contribution to getting as many people vaccinated as possible will be invaluable.”

This initiative will see eligible members of the public receiving jabs in scheduled clinics.

It comes as the new mass vaccination centre at the SSE Arena is set to open on

March 29.

PIERS Morgan’s comments about Meghan’s bombshell Oprah Winfrey interview caused the biggest backlash in Ofcom’s history.

The episodes of Good Morning Britain on March 8 and 9 saw 57,121 complaints made to the watchdog, with 41,000 arriving in 48 hours.

Morgan tweeted yesterday: “Only 57,000? I’ve had more people than that come up & congratulate me in the street for what I said. The vast majority of Britons are right behind me.”

ITV announced Morgan had left GMB on March 9, shortly after Ofcom began an inquiry.

Meghan also made her own formal complaint, it later emerged. In the interview with Oprah, which Harry later joined, she told of having suicidal thoughts and royal official’s knowledge of them.

But Morgan said on air: “I don’t believe a word she says.

I wouldn’t believe her if she read me a weather report.”

He said she sparked an

“onslaught” against the royals. Morgan stormed off set in his last episode of GMB after a heated exchange with weatherman Alex Beresford.

He has said his departure was caused by the “cancel culture that is permeating our country”.

The 55-year-old had also criticised the pair for going ahead with the broadcast while Prince Philip was in hospital with heart problems.

But US TV host Gayle King, a friend of the couple who has spoken out on their behalf, claims they had a deal to delay the programmes “if something, God forbid, had happened to him.”

On viewers’ response to the row, Ofcom said in a statement: “We can confirm this has attracted the highest number of complaints since reporting began.”

CONTROVERSY Harry & Meghan. Inset, Morgan

The Shilpa Shetty racism row on Celebrity Big Brother 2007 was previously the most complained about issue, with 44,500 viewers contacting Ofcom in disgust.

RACHAEL Blackmore is fast becoming the story of this festival.

She made racing history on Honeysuckle to become the first woman to win the Champion Hurdle on the opening day and the 31-year-old followed that up with a double on Bob Olinger and Sir Gerhard.

Originally from Killenaule, Co Tipperary, Rachael might look like she was born in a saddle but came to the sport quite late didn’t ride her first winner until February 2011 and didn’t turn professional until 2015.

The daughter of a dairy farmer and a teacher, she thought about becoming a vet and has a degree in equine science – combining her studies with riding out and competing

ECSTATIC Win at 2019 festival as an amateur.

Henry de Bromhead, who trained Honeysuckle, said: “Rachael is a brilliant rider on any horse and Honeysuckle is just a brilliant horse. The combination is deadly – it’s the perfect storm.”

After winning on Bob Olinger yesterday, Rachael said: ““His potential is sky high, I’d say – he was phenomenal there.

“He won a point-to-point for Pat Doyle, and Henry got him then – anyone who’s ever been associated with him has thought an awful lot of him. Winning at Cheltenham is what it’s all about and he’s done that now.

“There’ll be plenty of big days in him hopefully, but it’s just fantastic for everyone in the yard.

“It doesn’t matter what you are. We are jockeys. It is just a privilege to be here.”