Hundreds of people will be vaccinated at the new hub in Douglas town centre on its first day of operations, today (Monday).

Around 460 people are booked in for first and second jabs in the old supermarket under Chester Street car park on the day.

The hub will administer vaccines at whatever rate it is supplied to the island and as priority groups have been invited to come forward.

Jabs are currently being given to the over-75s.

The premises - used most recently by Shoprite - now house a bank of 10 cubicles.

A storage area and preparation room for the vaccine are in place, alongside a waiting area and facilities for staff.

Patients have been asked to arrive just before their appointment to avoid queues forming, but health chiefs say there is plenty of space and seating inside the building for those who need to wait.

Conversion work began in mid-January and the project was completed in 14 days.

The government says that the Department of Infrastructure employed local contractors, many of whom who had previously worked on the hospital’s Covid-19 wards and airport hub, plus local joiners, plasterers, painters, electricians, plumbers and cleaners.

Materials were sourced from local businesses, with some opening especially for the works during the circuit-breaker lockdown.

When they get to the hub patients will be met a member of staff who will explain the procedure.

The operation is being overseen by vaccine coordinators Sam Kneen and Wendy Easthope.

The hub is easy to access by bus or car.

Additional disabled parking has been made available on Market Street, with two-hour disc parking on levels 2 to 6 in the Chester Street car park.

A drop-off area has also been added outside the hub for taxis and patient transport.

Pedestrian signs will be put in place at key points around the town centre for pedestrians walking to the hub from bus stops and via Loch Promenade.

Parking is available on the Promenade walkway between the War Memorial and the Bottleneck car park.

The Shopmobility scheme operated by Circa is available to help patients visiting the hub.

From its base on the second floor of Chester Street car park, the charity will lend wheelchairs, mobility scooters and walking aids to anyone who needs them - there is no charge and you do not need to be registered disabled.

Circa is open from Monday to Friday and anyone who would like to use the equipment should call 613713 to make a reservation.

The Chester Street hub replaces the facility at ward 20 on the Noble’s Hospital site where the vaccination rollout began at the start of January.

The town centre hub’s opening follows the launch of the airport vaccination centre last month, providing two purpose-built centres for the biggest vaccination programme ever undertaken in the Isle of Man. Ward 20 is now closed.

Health Minister David Ashford said: ’I am delighted to see the next important step in the delivery of our vaccination programme come on stream.

’It has been good to see this disused building transform into a hub that will be well used over the next few months while we work towards vaccinating our island’s population.’

On Saturday (February 13) a ’pop up’ vaccination clinic will be held at Ramsey Cottage Hospital. Jabs will be given to more than 200 elderly people living in the north of the island who are unable to travel.

The day is fully booked, and those with appointments are asked to arrive no more than a few minutes before their slot to avoid unnecessary waiting or congestion at the hospital.