While the world’s best golfers will be hoping to tap in a few holes in one at The Open in Kent, people can also drop-in for a Covid-19 jab at an on-site clinic.
During the next four days – Thursday, 15 to Sunday, 18 July – the pop-up clinic, led by Dr Ashwani Peshan and his vaccination team, will be at the Royal St George’s Golf Club in Sandwich.
Anyone 18 and over can now have the Covid-19 jab and the vaccination team is offering Pfizer and AstraZeneca jabs to anyone eligible who needs one; this includes first and second doses.
To make things easy and understanding that people are there for the golf and don’t want to queue, there will be stewards taking e-appointment bookings during all four days, helping to make sure spectators don’t miss much of the likely-to-be nail biting play.
While the majority of those attending the championship will already have had both jabs, it’s anticipated about 20 per cent will be eligible for their first or second dose.
Visitors to the championship have to present a Covid pass on entry showing their jab status and/or a negative lateral flow test and complete a health questionnaire on the day before being able to go in.
Team Saga from Thanet, led by Dr Peshen, is running the clinic at the request of the European Tour team.
Dr Peshen said: “Colleagues and I have been working hard across Kent and Medway for many months to make sure we have been able to vaccinate as many people as possible and that’s now anyone aged 18 and over.
“Being vaccinated offers the best form of protection against Covid-19. My team and I are looking forward to hosting the clinic at the Open; it is an unusual location and we are hoping many people will take advantage of it being there for them to be vaccinated, if they still need to be.’’
Not at The Open?
If you aren’t going to the Open and would like to grab a jab, it is really quick and easy to have one.
1. Use the national booking service at Book or manage your coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination - NHS (www.nhs.uk) or phone 119.
2. If you don’t want to book, there are dozens of walk-in centres across Kent and Medway offering vaccinations at a time and place to suit you. Find out more here: Vaccination walk-in clinics:: Kent and Medway Clinical Commissioning Group (kentandmedwayccg.nhs.uk)
NHS Kent and Medway Clinical Commissioning Group Chief Nurse Paula Wilkins said: “Please remember that having both doses of the Covid-19 vaccine offers the best protection against the virus; it is, however, still possible to contract Coronavirus, so anything we can do to protect each other and ourselves remains vitally important. We know that having two doses also decreases household transmission by up to half.’’