Covid-19 coronavirus Delta outbreak: No bookings needed at Whangārei's drive-though vaccination centre

Whangārei's drive-though vaccination centre on Kioreroa Rd is offering jabs with or without bookings from today. Photo / Michael Cunningham

Whangārei's drive-through Covid-19 vaccination site is now open to anyone eligible for the jab, with or without a booking.

Today's hours at the drive-through clinic, which has been set up at the Ballance works (the former Toll transport hub) at 223 Kioreroa Rd, are 8am-7.30pm. It will also open 9am-4pm on Saturday.

A dedicated lane is set aside for workers from a different industry each week.

This week the focus is on hospitality workers. Trade workers are invited to make use of the special lane on September 13-18, followed by truckies on September 20-25 and farmers from September 27 to October 2.

Kerikeri's drive-through vaccination clinic at the Turner Centre on Cobham Rd has now closed with jabs and tests back at the previous location at 1 Sammaree Place, in the town's industrial area off Mill Lane.

According to the latest health board and ministry figures, Northland is slightly ahead of the national average in the race to get as many people as possible fully vaccinated against Covid-19.

As of yesterday 51,006 Northlanders, or 33.5 per cent of the eligible population, had received both doses of the vaccine.

That compares with 33 per cent of eligible New Zealanders overall, according to the Health Ministry's latest daily update.

In terms of the number of people who have received their first shot, however, Northland is lagging behind with 58 per cent compared with 63 per cent nationally.

Yesterday 356 Covid-19 tests were carried out in Northland, making a total of 9222 since August 16, a day before the Delta variant was first detected in the community.

Jeanette Wedding, who heads the vaccination programme in Northland, said tests had dropped since the peak of the Delta outbreak but continued to be available to people who were symptomatic and asymptomatic.

■ For the latest vaccination times and locations go to www.northlanddhb.org.nz.