Residents of a parish near Mansfield will have the chance to make their way to a Covid vaccination bus this weekend for the first time since the pandemic began. Residents in Blidworth, where Covid cases are on the rise, can attend the bus on Saturday, April 2, in the car park of Blidworth Leisure Centre from 10am-4pm.
Councillors have said that they have received messages and phone calls from anxious locals who are unable to travel far to get their vaccines. Latest figures from the Government’s Coronavirus dashboard show that 14% of residents in Newark and Sherwood , the district that Blidworth falls under, have not even had a single jab. This figure hasn’t risen in months.
Councillor Tina Thompson, a local health campaigner said, “I’m delighted that health bosses have acted on my concerns and acted positively to my request. The vaccination bus has visited numerous locations since March 2020 – but never Blidworth.
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“I had a message from a resident with agoraphobia – too anxious travel to get vaccinated. I also had phone calls from residents complaining about having to travel to the old Wickes in Mansfield and King’s Mill Hospital in Sutton-in-Ashfield.
“Residents without cars simply didn’t get vaccinated. That’s why I am so pleased to have secured the visit of the vaccination bus to Blidworth.”
Councillor Thompson wrote to health bosses on March 15 asking for the bus to visit Blidworth urgently. Total Covid cases in Rainworth & Blidworth are up by 35.9% in the seven days from March 26, according to the government’s Coronavirus map.
Covid cases in Newark and Sherwood have seen a rise in recent weeks with 1135 positive COVID cases in the week 18th-24th March.
Blidworth Independent Parish Councillor Martin Atherton said, “The latest COVID figures from the Newark and Sherwood District area show that we can’t get complacent. I’d implore all Blidworth residents to take advantage of the visit of the vaccination bus. I’d like to thank my colleague Councillor Tina Thompson for sorting this.”
Residents are invited to attend on a first come, first serve basis.
