City Hall to be vaccine super centre

JAY FIELDING

MARYBOROUGH City Hall is set to become the city’s COVID-19 vaccination hub.

Wide Bay Hospital and Health Service has begun preparing to move the local vaccination clinic from Maryborough Hospital to the new location.

Clinics at Hervey Bay and Bundaberg hospitals will be shifted to the TAFE colleges in both cities.

The move is aimed to speed up the rollout of the vaccination.

The hubs are expected to be up and running this month.

Initially, the AstraZeneca vaccine will be provided, with the Pfizer vaccine to be offered at a later date.

Maryborough health workers will have their 12-week followup shot at City Hall.

A WBHHS spokesperson said City Hall provided the ease of access, nearby car parking and space needed for the hub.

“We’re excited to be able to support and supplement the community rollout being led by the primary care sector, and we look forward to giving more people the chance to be protected from severe illness or death from COVID-19,” the spokesperson said

Use of Maryborough City Hall will be restricted indefinitely as a result of the move.

Federal and state government health officials have been in discussions with Fraser Coast Regional Council for several months about setting up a hub at the venue.

A council spokesperson said Queensland Health had been given access to City Hall last week.

The spokesperson said the federal and state health departments would determine how long the building was used as a vaccination hub.

“In anticipation of the Maryborough City Hall auditorium being needed as a COVID-19 vaccination hub, council has not been taking hall bookings for a number of months and has found other locations for regular users in locations such as the recently refurbished Granville Community Hall,” the spokesperson said.

“While the main auditorium will not be available while the COVID-19 vaccination hub is operating, the rest of Maryborough City Hall, such as the council chambers, meeting rooms and Visitor Information Centre, will continue to operate as usual.”

More than 2.2 million vaccines have so far been given in Australia.

Mayor George Seymour said the he was glad that the historic building was being used for such a vital community service.

“Locations were chosen for a range of reasons including... proximity to hospitals and the required space to enable teams to establish safe and functional clinical areas.” he said.

To check your COVID vaccine eligibility, visit https://covidvaccine.healthdirect.gov.au/ eligibility or, if you cannot use the website, speak to your doctor or phone 134 COVID (13 42 68).