This week we hit another significant milestone with over 15 million people now vaccinated against Covid-19. Locally we’re doing well too, with 450,000 people now having had their first dose across Sussex.
The vaccine roll-out has been a massive logistical effort on a scale never attempted before. Thanks to the hard work of our local vaccination teams more than 90% of people aged 70 and over have received the first dose and everyone in the top four priority groups has been contacted. This is hugely important as they are those most at risk of serious illness or death if they catch Coronavirus.
Last week it was also announced that our campaign to get a new site in Chichester City centre was successful. I am very grateful to the whole team who have worked tirelessly to find an appropriate site to fulfil this need. I have weekly meetings with our local healthcare leaders, and I know how much work has gone into making this a possibility.
The next two priority groups for the vaccination are starting to receive invitations and are now able to book their appointments. Anyone aged 65 and over can book their vaccination appointment through the national system with one of the large vaccination centres or pharmacy sites. You can do so online at: www.nhs.uk/covid-vaccination or you can call 119. For further information on the roll-out visit my website, www.gilliankeegan.com/coronavirus-vaccine
Despite the huge successes we’ve made in distributing the vaccine the level of infection remains high, so we must continue to be patient and stay at home. Next week the Prime Minister is expected to set out our roadmap back to something resembling normality. Top of that list is to reopen our schools, which we hope will go ahead, Covid-19 dependent, on the 8th March, something that will be a welcome relief to everyone having to fit home-schooling into their schedule. Of course, not everyone has found it easy to keep up with their schoolwork remotely, so there’s a huge focus on helping young people to catch up. We’ve recently appointed a new Education Recovery Commissioner, Sir Kevan Collins, to lead on this work, backed up by a further £300 million fund that comes on top of the £1 billion announced in June last year.
In the meantime, I want to express my thanks to everyone on the frontline who are keeping us going, from the incredible NHS teams caring for the sick and vaccinating thousands every day, to our unsung heroes like the refuse collectors, postmen and women, police officers, and all those running community projects like Midhurst Angels and the team at the Selsey Centre; who have become a lifeline to people isolated throughout this pandemic.
Every day I see more and more that despite being kept apart, this pandemic is bringing us all closer together.