Coronavirus in Scotland: Glasgow Central Mosque running vaccination clinic 12 hours a day amid Covid outbreak

Scotland’s biggest mosque is operating 12 hours a day as a vaccination centre to inoculate younger adults in a Covid hotspot.

People aged 18 to 39 who live in postcodes G41, G42, G5, G51 or G52 in Glasgow are being offered coronavirus jabs early as public health authorities tackle a surge in cases in those areas.

The city has the highest rate of coronavirus in Scotland at 104.6 cases per 100,000 people in the seven days to May 15, with the southside worst affected.

Glasgow Central Mosque is operating as a vaccination centre and will be open from 8am until 8pm each day until further notice.

It said on Twitter: “If you live in postcodes G41, G42, G5, G51 or G52 and are aged 18-39, you have been identified as a priority to receive a Covid-19 vaccination and an appointment has been reserved for you.

“You will be asked to attend to receive your first vaccination against Covid-19 soon, by either a text inviting you to make an appointment or a letter with a date through the post.”

Covid-19 vaccinations are also being offered to those aged 18-39 in Moray as NHS Grampian combats an outbreak of the virus in the area.

People queuing in the car park for a vaccination at the Glasgow Central Mosque in Glasgow.

Elsewhere, it is mainly those aged 40 and over who are being offered vaccine appointments – though younger people have been called in some areas.

Scotland’s National Clinical Director, Professor Jason Leitch, said a contingency supply of vaccines is being used to vaccinate the younger age groups.

He told BBC Breakfast: “We’ve got to be slightly more cautious about that route because of supply. We simply do not have 60 million vaccines for every person in the country, we’re getting them, they’re coming, and by the end of July we will have offered every adult a single dose, let’s be clear, but we can use some contingency vaccine for these hotspots Bolton, Glasgow, Moray, so we can do it.

“It’s slightly more cautious than the first thing I talked about which is getting to the people who haven’t had their dose, and remember vaccination takes three weeks to work so it doesn’t help us tomorrow – testing, distancing, all those things we’re so familiar with, they help us tomorrow.

“So we’re testing everything that moves, we’re putting it through letter boxes, we’re setting up testing clinics in mosques and community centres, so if you live in these areas where the numbers are rising, get tested, get the positive tests off the street, then we can get a hold of it and then Glasgow and the other areas can continue on the route map.”

He said authorities are also trying to find people in Glasgow who did not come for their first dose, or who missed their second jab, to encourage them to get fully inoculated.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde said it is finalising plans to bring forward second doses for those aged 50 and over in the affected areas of the city.

Glasgow and Moray remain in Level 3 restrictions despite the rest of mainland Scotland moving to Level 2 on Monday.

East Renfrewshire has the second highest rate of cases in Scotland at 94.2 per 100,000 people in the seven days to May 15.

Moray is now in fifth position with 48 cases per 100,000.

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this article. We're more reliant on your support than ever as the shift in consumer habits brought about by coronavirus impacts our advertisers.

If you haven't already, please consider supporting our trusted, fact-checked journalism by taking out a digital subscription.