Cwm Taf Morgannwg UHB hands back community vaccination centres
Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board is handing back two of its five community vaccination centres (CVCs) so that the venues can be used again as a leisure centre and indoor bowls facility.
The Health Board has five CVCs in Bridgend, Merthyr Tydfil, Llantrisant, Rhondda and Mountain Ash.
Rhondda and Mountain Ash will close on Friday, March 18 and are set to be officially handed back to Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council at the end of the month.
Cwm Taf Morgannwg UHB is now starting a new phase of its COVID-19 vaccination programme, and making plans on how and where vaccines will be offered to its communities in the future.
The Health Board has worked alongside the three local authorities in its area, (Rhondda Cynon Taf CBC, Bridgend CBC and Merthyr Tydfil CBC) which provided the venues for its community vaccination centres, since the early days of the vaccination programme. These partnerships have been vital in making the COVID-19 vaccine rollout such a success.
Cwm Taf Morgannwg UHB’s Assistant Director of Planning and vaccination programme lead, Julie Keegan, said: “Our first priority has been, and still is, to offer the vaccine quickly and safely to our communities to protect them against COVID-19. Our CVCs have played such an important role in that.
“We have always been conscious that four out of five of them are important leisure venues in the areas they serve. So it has been our long-term aim to reach a point when we could hand back our CVCs to our local authorities, so people can once again start using them for what they were originally meant for.”
Rhondda community vaccination centre is based at Rhondda Sports Centre and the Mountain Ash community vaccination centre is based at Cynon Valley Indoor Bowls Centre.
Julie said: “It’s thanks to so many people coming forward for their COVID-19 vaccine that we have reached this milestone in the programme and are at the point where we can hand back Rhondda and Mountain Ash.
“We are all looking forward to seeing them being used again.
“I would like to thank everyone at RCT CBC for their support throughout this vaccination programme. It’s a true example of partnership working at its best.”
Bridgend, Merthyr Tydfil and Llantrisant CVCs will remain open, with plans in place to add two ‘drive-thru’ clinics.
Councillor Andrew Morgan, Leader of Rhondda Cynon Taf Council said: “RCT Council is proud to have worked in partnership with Cwm Taf Morgannwg UHB throughout the pandemic to keep residents safe, and support the roll-out of the vaccine so we could get back to life as we once knew it.
“The return of these venues to RCT Council marks an important milestone in pandemic, and should be seen as another positive step towards us learning to live with the virus.
“Work will now need to be undertaken at both venues to ensure they are ready for customers to use again, with Rhondda Sports Centre anticipated to be ready by the end of April, and Cynon Valley Bowls anticipated to open in the summer.”
Cwm Taf Morgannwg UHB has given one million COVID-19 vaccines since the start of the programme.
Rhondda CVC has given more than 111,000 of these vaccines and Mountain Ash CVC has administered 103,000.
There is more information on Cwm Taf Morgannwg UHB’s vaccination pages on its website, including frequently asked questions on why the Health Board has made this decision and where those vaccinated at the Rhondda and Mountain Ash CVCs will go for their spring booster. More information here: COVID-19 Vaccine Information - Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board (nhs.wales)