GPs and nurses get vaccines ahead of community rollout
AROUND 500 GPs and primary care practice nurses were vaccinated at the weekend at the new vaccination centre at IT Sligo ahead of the rollout of Covid vaccines in the community this week.
Staff at Sligo University Hospital and residents and staff in nursing homes and other residential care settings have alredy been vaccinated.
But as of Tuesday other people are getting the jab, starting with those aged over 85.
One Sunday the vaccination centre at the Knocknarea Arena at IT Sligo was visited by HSE chief executive Paul Reid. He said there was a “lovely atmosphere” as family doctors and nurses not just from Sligo but some surrounding counties were vaccinated.
Mr Reid thanked all involved in getting the centre up and running and said that it took
“great co-operation by everyone to make this happen”.
The centre is one of 37 across the country which are now being used.
IT Sligo president Dr Brendan
McCormack said that they were delighted to accommodate the centre.
“We have worked with the HSE and our colleagues in Sligo University Hospital since the start of the pandemic supplying PPE, face visors, reagents and even respiratory aids.
“We were approached by the HSE a few week ago to use our facilities for vaccinations and we immediately offered the use of our Knocknarea Arena.” Dr McCormack said it was appropriate for the centre to be used for vaccinations as that would enable us to return again to the events which the Knocknarea Arena is normally used for.
Meanwhile, there has been a further drop in the number of new Covid cases in the county and the number of Covid patients in Sligo University Hospital.
As of Tuesday night there were 14 confirmed Covid patients and two suspected cases in the hospital, with just one requiring critical care treatment.
That was down from a week previously when there were 29 confirmed Covid cases with two suspected and three patients with Covid were in need of critical care treatment.
The incidence rate of Covid in Sligo has also decreased and the latest available figure on Tuesday night, which are up to Sunday showed there was a total of 2,135 cases for the county, which is up by just 43 on a week previously.