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Leicester, Wolves open up stadiums as vaccination clinics

Premier League football clubs Leicester City and Wolverhampton Wanderers are opening up their home stadiums as COVID-19 vaccination clinics.

Leicester will be running walk-in clinics at the King Power Stadium next week as it encourages more local people to get their jab.

Clinics will be held at King Power Stadium on July 12 and July 13 from 12pm to 9pm, with no pre-booked appointments necessary. The Pfizer vaccine will be made available for anyone over the age of 18.

The clinics will be located at the stadium’s W1 turnstile, with NHS marshals to be on hand to provide further support and information.

Andy Williams, chief executive at the Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Clinical Commissioning Groups, said: “We’re so close to finally getting back to doing all the things that are important to us with the people that we’ve missed the most during lockdown. That’s why it’s critical that we do everything we can to keep COVID at bay.

“By having your COVID vaccination at any of our clinics across the city and counties you’ll be helping us to protect our communities and to keep us restriction-free going forward.”

Wolves will also host a temporary clinic at Molineux as part of an initiative from the City of Wolverhampton Council and the NHS. A vaccination bus, which has visited various locations around Wolverhampton, will be stopping off at Molineux this week to anyone over the age of 18.

Both Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines will be available on the bus, which will be parked in the Stan Cullis Stand car park today (Thursday) until 7pm, and then from Friday to Sunday between 11am and 6pm. No booking will be required.

Anyone who takes up the jab will be given the chance to enter a prize draw to win a signed Wolves shirt.

Dr Matt Perry, Wolves’ head of medical services, said: “Ahead of the start of the new season, we want as many people as possible to have their COVID-19 vaccinations, so we can get back to enjoying football at the Molineux safely.

“We’re pleased to be able to support the vaccination programme in Wolverhampton and hope local people will come to Molineux to get their jabs if they haven’t had them already.”

It was announced earlier this week that sports venues in England can reopen at full capacity from July 19 after the UK Government set a date for the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions. The Premier League season begins on August 13.

Image: Ben Sutherland/CC BY 2.0/Edited for size