Online voices

STORY:

Proposed “jabs at work” scheme could see millions of under-50s receive covid vaccine by spring.

Elaine Palmer:

Sounds a good, sensible plan.

I'm asthmatic but can currently work at home, so on a societal level this plan would benefit all of us, though I'm personally desperate for my jab.

Stephen F Lounton: Can't give them at work if we are not allowed to be at work.

Kaye Sanders: Well that's great but most people are not at work.

Susan Mccoy:

What about school staff who are still going into work for keyworker children?

Graeme Short: No thanks I’ll just keep working from home.

STORY:

People can have a say on £100m riverside plans and Metro station hopes.

Damian Surtees:

Looks good to me, vast improvement.

Garry Johnson:

Build a shopping village alongside the river with bars and restaurants shops and market stalls, and have street food events and music and entertainment venues throughout the year.

Pat Robson: Why ask? Won’t make any difference whatsoever.

Brian Thubron: No more students, no more charity/food takeaways/ betting shops. Lower the rates so decent shops can make money and attract shoppers. Build with character and not ugly grey blocks, it's so depressing we never go into city now!

Ian Lines: New buildings and infrastructure will not regenerate Sunderland City. Only higher disposable income amongst the population will do that. Simple economic truism; “when people have inadequate disposable income they cannot, and do not, consume”. This applies equally to the employed, the unemployed, the underemployed and all benefit recipients.

Stephen Paul:

There is a song by The Specials called this town is gonna be a ghost town, there’s a nice little middle 8 where it goes do you remember the good old days before the ghost town, yep.

Porters, cleaners and drivers are among “unsung heroes” according to someone at the sharp end of the vaccine rollout. “They deliver everything to us and help with the logistics of the operation. They’ve done a massive job and we really need them,” confirmed Public Health Agency Northern Ireland Director of Nursing Deirdre Webb.

“Then we have a huge volunteer workforce helping people get to clinics. They are all the unsung heroes of this,” added the Belfast 57 year-old.

“We hope to see promising results in the springtime. We have small teams helping to deliver the vaccine in patient’s homes.

“Then vaccinations are also being given at GP surgeries and mass vaccination centres.”

“Everyone has been so enthusiastic and very keen to help out,” continued Deirdre, herself set to be trained as a vaccinator. I’ve been in nursing for 40 years and this has been the biggest vaccination programme I’ve ever been involved with.’’