The council has granted permission for Gainsborough Sports Centre in Ipswich to be used by the NHS as the first Suffolk site to begin delivering Covid-19 vaccinations.

During the Suffolk Public Sector Leaders meeting on the afternoon of Friday, November 20, it was understood the sports centre was first choice for a base, but not yet confirmed.

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Ipswich Borough Council has now agreed to use of the site and it is thought the facility could be up and running by the beginning of December next week.

A spokesman said: “Ipswich Borough Council agreed on Monday 23 November that our local NHS partners can use Gainsborough Sports Centre as a Coronavirus Vaccination Centre.

“We understand that this will be open from early December.

“We recognise that we must all must pull together to help deliver the vaccination programme locally as swiftly and as safely as possible.”

The East of England is to take delivery of 9.8million vaccines and each region will have a number of fixed vaccination centres to offer jabs to high numbers of people in one area.

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