When is Stoke getting a mass vaccination centre?
Ten new mass vaccination centres have opened across the country today but Stoke isn't on the list, so when is it getting one?
Whilst GP's, pharmacies and hospitals are amongst those giving out the jab, the 'mass' vaccination centres closest to the city are the Millennium Point in Birmingham, St Helen's Rugby Ground and the Etihad Stadium in Manchester.
Matt Hancock confirmed in parliament last week that plans are in motion to get a mass vaccination centre up and running in Stoke by Monday.
The health secretary said "I am delighted that there is going to be a mass vaccination centre. I can give that assurance—we are working as hard as we possibly can to ensure that all the equipment is there."
"Everybody thinks about the vaccine—that is very important—but it is also about all the other things that are needed, such as the specialist syringes."
"The vaccine is so valuable that inside the syringe is a plunger that goes into the needle to squeeze the extra bit of liquid that would otherwise be left in the needle into someone’s arm to make sure that every last drop of vaccine is used."
"A whole series of other equipment is needed alongside the actual liquid of the vaccine. I will ensure that my hon. Friend the vaccine deployment Minister makes sure that the Stoke-on-Trent mass vaccination centre is up and running and ready for 25 January."
3,857,266 million people in the UK have now had their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. The Prime Minister said on Sunday that the UK is currently vaccinating at a rate of 140 jabs per minute.
Council Leader Abi Brown said, "I'm really pleased that the secretary of state has confirmed that Stoke-on-Trent will have a mass vaccination centre."
"It's brilliant news for every resident of Stoke-on-Trent, we've worked hard to ensure that there is a good location for that to happen and that Stoke-on-Trent isn't forgotten alongside our bigger neighbours like Birmingham and Manchester."
It comes as infection rates in the city are also starting to decrease. 418 people per 100,000 had the virus in Stoke on the 11th of January, that's down 6.5% on the previous week.
The government's target is to vaccinate all of the most vulnerable people before the middle of February, that's around 15,000,000 jabs.
Matt Hancock has also previously said that he expects the whole of the UK's adult population to have been offered a vaccine by the autumn.