No new cases, Melbourne landmarks to become vax hubs

It comes as mass COVID-19 vaccination centres are set to be created in the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre and Royal Exhibition Building in the coming weeks.Thousands of emergency service workers a week are expected to receive their COVID-19 jabs at the city hubs when Australia moves into the second phase of its vaccination rollout.While no firm date has been set for phase 1b of rollout, the Andrews Government has moved to prepare the mass centres to meet its responsibility of vaccinating the state’s police officers, firefighters and other emergency service workers.The former Ford factory in Geelong is also being transformed into a high-volume vaccination centre under the state component of the phase 1b program.A Department of Health spokesman told the Herald Sun there would be a “slow and steady” ramping up of vaccinations at the mass sites when they open in the coming weeks, however thousands of people are expected to receive their shots at the city centres a week when they reach full capacity.“Our capacity to vaccinate 1b priority groups will be bolstered, with plans progressing for high-volume vaccination centres located at the Royal Exhibition Building and the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre,” the spokesman said.“The commencement of these sites in the coming weeks, and other potential locations across the state, will depend on vaccine supply from the Commonwealth.”The Herald Sun understands the Royal Melbourne Hospital will operate the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre site, while St Vincent’s will oversee the Royal Exhibition Building operation.Further vaccination centres, linked to the state’s community health organisations and hospitals and co-ordinated by the nine Local Public Health Units, will be opened as the AstraZeneca vaccine rolls out and the Commonwealth’s 1b phase launches. While state governments will provide COVID-19 vaccinations for their emergency service workforces under phase 1b, the Commonwealth will lead the rollout to elderly residents over 70 through GP clinics, pharmacies and private residential aged care.As of Wednesday, phase 1a of the COVID-19 vaccine rollout had seen more than 22,317 doses administered to frontline healthcare and quarantine workers at Victoria’s hospital vaccination hubs.