A VACANT unit in Windsor Yards has been transformed into a vaccination centre in a bid to ‘accelerate’ the local programme.

AEW UK Investment Management, who purchased the 260,700sq ft shopping centre in May, have announced they have licensed the empty store on 12/13 King Edward Court as an NHS Covid vaccine hub to administer the jabs.

The new owners say the site will be open daily and currently between 7,000 and 10,000 vaccinations are being administered per week.

The former Lakeland shop has been licensed to the East Berkshire Primary Care Out of Hours, a community benefit society created to support the healthcare needs of patients in East Berkshire.

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With it being in the town centre, AEW says the site is highly accessible to Windsor residents as it has nearby public transport links and car parking.

Charles Royle, portfolio manager, UREF at AEW said: “We are very pleased that Windsor Yards can continue to play a key role in the community by welcoming an NHS Vaccination Centre.  We look forward to supporting the community throughout the transformation of Windsor Yards and to welcoming additional new occupiers in the near future.”

Across the country, the vaccination has been ramping up in order to control the Delta variant, which is 60 per cent more transmissible than the Alpha variant.

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While Windsor and Maidenhead have the lowest infection per 100,000 population in Berkshire, which currently stands at 48.2, cases have been increasing along with its neighbours.

However, according to the government website, nearly 102,000 people in the Royal Borough have been given their first jab while just over 78,800 residents have received their second dose