The Athlone Stadium is being transformed into the first Covid-19 drive-through vaccination facility on the Cape Flats.
In a statement, the City of Cape Town confirmed that it “has leased the stadium free of charge to the Western Cape Government, who are mandated with administering Covid-19 vaccines”.
Once completed, the stadium will have a walk-in facility aimed to be operational in early August and a drive-through vaccination facility. The drive-through element will hopefully open two weeks after the walk-in vaccination centre at the stadium is up and running.
Mayor Dan Plato said: “The drive-through facility has taken much preparation, including an intensive traffic plan to minimise long queues as far as possible. The drive-through offers an alternative vaccination option to residents.
“Benefits include aspects such as allowing parents to keep their young children in the car, while they are vaccinated, and will hopefully encourage those that are vaccine hesitant to consider this safe and easy alternative.”
Western Cape Premier Alan Winde said: “Every single person, no matter where they live, or what they earn, must have access to life-saving vaccines. I am therefore extremely excited that we will be opening a mass vaccination site in Athlone, bringing vaccines close to residents across the Metro.
“Like we have shown with the CTICC (Cape Town International Convention Centre) Vaccination Centre of Hope, and now with the Athlone Stadium mass site, we are committed to pursuing partnerships that will bring services closer to people.”
The City officials said that their aim is to have five lanes at the drive-through vaccination centre with 40 stations.
“The City is in the process of finalising plans at the stadium for, among others, connectivity, vaccine storage, health technology, social distancing protocols, furniture acquisition, disinfecting, waste management, fire and evacuation detail as well as security and events coordination.”
When all of these logistics are in place the stadium will be handed over to the Western Cape government and regional health officials.