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To date over 11,000 vaccines have been administered at the Limavady Road venue since it opened last month and over 26,000 people across the Western Trust have now received their first dose.

The Mayor visited Foyle Arena to learn more about the collaborative work between the Western Heath and Social Care Trust and Council in the mass roll out of the Covid 19 vaccine at the facility.

Mayor Tierney met with staff at the centre and praised the successful roll out to date which he said gave the public genuine hope of a return to a more normal way of life later this year.

Councillor Brian Tierney, Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council, visits the Covid -19 vaccination centre in the Foyle Arena where he met Western Health and Social Care Trust staff who are delivering the vaccine programme. Included are Dr. Maura Oâ€TMNeill, Assistant Director Performance & Improvement, Anne McConnell, Director, Hunan Resources. WHSCT and Garrett Martin, co-ordinator, WHSCT, Foyle Arena. Picture Martin McKeown. 28.01.21

“I was delighted to have the opportunity to see first hand the mammoth operational effort that has gone into ensuring the Vaccine Programme has been rolled out efficiently and successfully over recent weeks,” he said.

“The pace of the roll out has surpassed expectations with 1,000 vaccinations per day currently being administered.

“It is providing much needed hope that there is light at the end of the tunnel and a return to some normality for all of us later this year.

“The further roll out of the project can eventually relieve the chronic pressure that our health service is currently experiencing but in the short term we owe it to our heroic front line health care workers to stick to the public health advice and restrictions to reduce the spread of the virus.”

Western Heath and Social Care Trust Director of HR and lead Director for the Trust’s Vaccine Programme, Ann McConnell, added: “Today we have reached 26,000 vaccines and will continue to vaccinate approximately 1,000 per day in the coming weeks.

“This has been a significant logistical challenge and we thank the Council for their collaboration and partnership in working through this.

“We have vaccinated a considerable number of people from the JCVI priority groups to date and are continuing now with the age 65-69 category and this is a hugely significant task for us.

“I would like to thank all those who have worked so hard behind the scenes and on the front-line in delivering this crucial vaccine programme.”

Sylvia Crawford who is one of the retired WHSCT staff who has answered the call to help deliver the Covid-19 vaccine pictured with Councillor Brian Tierney, Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council, when he visited the Covid -19 mass vaccination centre in the Foyle Arena. Picture Martin McKeown. 28.01.21

Mrs McConnell added that while the vaccination programme does provide new hope for everyone during this Covid-19 pandemic, in the current extreme surge period, our hospitals do continue to face significant pressures and it is very important that the public continue to adhere to all important measures and restrictions which are in place.

People aged 65-69 can now book their Covid-19 vaccination appointments, the online booking is available at covid-19.hscni.net.

GPs will be focusing on the 70 plus age group, while the seven regional vaccination centres will in parallel be offering vaccination appointments to 65-69 year-olds.

Foyle Arena vaccination programme passes 11,000 mark - Mayor Tierney praises staff