A CHILDREN'S play centre in Selby is set to open as a Covid-19 mass vaccination centre next month.

Summit Indoor Adventure has been closed since March due to coronavirus restrictions but work has now started to remove the indoor skate park to allow the vaccinations to begin in early February.

Up to 5,000 coronavirus jabs a week will be given to vulnerable residents from the Selby area who will receive the Pfizer or AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine.

The initial capacity of 5,000 vaccines per week has the flexibility to increase to 7,000 depending on supply.

The site will serve around 50,000 residents from the Selby Primary Care Network area.

Everyone vaccinated will receive two doses in two separate appointments.

Leader of Selby District Council, Cllr Mark Crane, said: “From February, the Summit Indoor Adventure venue will close and be used as a NHS mass vaccination centre for priority groups, health and care staff.

"The large site is capable of delivering thousands of life-saving jabs each week.

"The venue is convenient for many of our residents and offers ample parking for people who have been invited to receive the jab.

"Using the venue in this way is an important way we can support the national response to the pandemic.”

Dr Nicholas Jackson, clinical director of Selby Town Primary Care Network, added: “We’ve been making great progress since before Christmas vaccinating people in Selby against Covid-19, focusing on the highest-priority groups including the over-80s plus staff and residents in care homes.

“The opening of this new site is great news for the area. It will give us much greater scope to vaccinate more people sooner in the coming weeks as we start to move through the priority groups and protect our communities against this virus.

“We will continue to be offering the vaccination in Selby in line with the national guidance and encourage anyone who is invited to take up the offer comes forward – however, we are asking people to be patient. We will contact you and make the appointment when the time is right.

“The ongoing rollout of the vaccination programme is good news, but we should all remember to stick to lockdown restrictions and continue to wear masks, wash our hands and maintain social distancing to reduce the spread of Covid-19.”