Asda set to become first supermarket to offer coronavirus vaccines

Asda has always taken a strong stance on preventing the spread of coronavirus, and now the company has revealed that its Birmingham branch will be the first supermarket to administer vaccinesto the public.

Asda to administer coronavirus vaccines

Asda has recently been given the green light to provide the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine in the UK through an in-store pharmacy at its Birmingham branch. Roger Burnley, President of the grocery store chain has revealed he’s proud that Asda can take on a larger role in the fight against COVID-19:

We are incredibly proud to provide this service and are keen to do all we can to help the NHS and Government accelerate the rollout of the vaccination programme.

Burnley went on to reassure that the chain is more than equipped for the job after previously delivering over 200,000 flu jabs as well as having a ‘nationwide logistics programme’ to support the transportation and storage of the sensitive vaccines. He continued:

We are on hand to provide the NHS with any practical support required so that more people can quickly receive the vaccine.

The supermarket chain has announced that the George section of the store would be transformed into a vaccination centre and will be open from 8am to 8pm every day.

The store will be able to administer up to 250 jabs per day but those high on the priority list will have first dibs with appointments made through the NHS. This means you cannot contact Asda directly for a vaccine appointment.

Asda cracks down on masks

We all know that it is illegal to enter stores in the UK without a mask and doing so can result in a fine up to £100. However, some people will always choose themselves over the safety of the public.

That’s why Asda, Waitrose and Tesco have all made the move to ban shoppers who insist on not wearing a mask.

The move followed the criticism of retailers across the UK for not doing enough to enforce coronavirus safety rules. The issue of face coverings is officially a police matter but as private properties, supermarkets have the power to turn away customers as they please.

An Asda spokesperson has revealed that if customers have simply forgotten their mask then one will be provided for them upon entrance which they an pay for at the end of their shop. But, they added:

Should a customer refuse to wear a covering without a valid medical reason and be in any way challenging to our colleagues about doing so, our security colleagues will refuse their entry.

Don’t forget to wear your masks!