More than 50,000 vaccine doses have now been administered at Deeside’s Mass Vaccination Centre

The number of Covid-19 vaccine doses administered at Deeside’s Mass Vaccination Centre has now passed the 50,000 mark.

The Deeside vaccination centre – based inside the Rainbow Hospital at Deeside Leisure Centre – began delivering vaccine jabs just before Christmas.

Health workers, military personal and volunteers have been administering around 700 doses a day at the site.

The 50,000 milestone was reached late last week, Christine Derryhouse, Deputy Nurse Manager, said: “Well done to all the staff at the Deeside Mass Vaccination Centre who have vaccinated over 50,000 people since December.”

“I have worked with such a fantastic team who have all worked very hard to achieve this, helping make the lives of people in Flintshire and Wrexham much easier.”

According to the latest figures published by Public Health Wales, nearly 450,000 vaccine doses have been administered so far in North Wales.

And over 1.5m people in Wales have now had their first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine.

It means Wales has now become the UK nation to give the first dose of a Covid 19 vaccine to over half its total population.

Wales has become the first UK nation to give a first dose of Covid-19 vaccine to half its total population. pic.twitter.com/8YOcyn7I3G

— Ian Jones (@ian_a_jones) April 12, 2021

The Welsh government is aiming to vaccinate Wales’ priority groups by mid-April and offer all adults a jab by the end of July.

Deeside Rainbow Hospital was stood down in March as demand for hospital beds in the region reduced.

The vaccination centre will remain in place at the leisure centre until July.

Military personal who have been deployed to the site will step back at the end of the month.

Aura Leisure, the organisation which runs leisure centre has said the site will begin a phased reopening during late summer.

Aura has said the leisure centre will return with a new look gym, a redesigned skate park and the ice rink will reopen.

The leisure centre closed at the start of the pandemic and the popular skate park – one of the largest in Europe – was taken out to make way for a 250 temporary hospital.

The field hospital – which was built to boost capacity in North East Wales – began to admit patients in November as a second wave of Coronavirus infections took hold.