A British A400M Atlas transport aircraft has delivered the first doses of the Pfizer COVID19 vaccine to Gibraltar.
Dear @RoyalAirForce, we acknowledge receipt of @pfizer vaccine for #Gibraltar! With grateful thanks to @DefenceHQ @MODGibraltar @RAF_Gib & @FCDOGovUK @Convent_Gib. Now off to @GHAWeb! pic.twitter.com/Dr6ozgVR2m
— Fabian Picardo (@FabianPicardo) January 9, 2021
According to a statement from the Government of Gibraltar:
“Her Majesty’s Government of Gibraltar is delighted to announce that the first delivery of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine on Saturday 9 January 2021. Upon arrival, the vaccine will be immediately be taken directly to dedicated freezers in the basement of St Bernard’s Hospital and kept at -75 degrees centigrade.
This first delivery is being provided to Gibraltar by the UK Government as part of its programme to supply the Overseas Territories, as such the methodology of delivery is the same as it is in the UK.
A 5850 doses of the vaccine will be received in this first delivery. The second delivery of the vaccine is expected by the end of January. The aim to have vaccinated all over 70s with at least one dose by mid February, assuming that the vaccines arrive as planned.”
The vaccination programme for the public in Gibraltar will commence on Monday 11th January and will be at the former Primary Care Centre at the ICC.
Really smashing it with this vaccine roll out. Well done gov ??
I agree: we have got all the big bits right. But we cannot call out the Holy Cow’s incompetence.
It is very sad how negative the UK media are droning on about how inept the government are with the vaccine rollout. It is also very sad as the grinding, pointless, cynical negativity really does affect people’s mental health.
If it was all is true, based on vaccinated numbers, by implication the French government is 10x as inept and only the Israelis are more competent! Tongue in cheek of course.
Fact is we have chosen and ordered vaccines that work and ordered enough for everyone. Not a lot of governments answer to that description.
Wholeheartedly agree sir. ???
I agree, though a pity that I haven’t seen it reported in the UK press, which seems to be in a clinically-depressed and negativist state on almost all matters.
The vaccine rollout has really been a postcode lottery! With 90+ year olds still waiting in Wales, while you could get it in a London Walkin centre before Xmas!
I live in Hull, East Yorkshire, and the over 80’s have received the first jab.
Hancock should Resign!
I’ve always found the runway at Gib fascinating.
Isn’t it the airport equivalent of a level crossing where cars have to stop and watch aircraft taking off and landing? Would enjoy seeing that some day!
Yes.
Occasionally other things go on at that crossing as well!
Yes, but be quick – a new tunnel is being constructed to take traffic under the runway at the eastern end. Scheduled to open later this year – you can see the works on Google Earth.
The material to build it came from the tunneling inside the Rock. That gives you an idea of how swiss cheese like the Rock is. If you visit and get the chance the Tunnel Tours are a must see, especially if you get to go into the ones not normally seen by the regular tourist trips.
Just wondering if they were inspected by the Spanish police as per the agreement signed with Spain where they use their own police/Border force to check everybody going in and out of Gib.
That’s not true, Spain has no police/border force inside Gibraltar.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jan/02/spain-gibraltar-border-preliminary-post-brexit-deal
Still waiting for the vaccine in the U.S. Guess only the politicians and the people that pay them off, I mean donators have gotten it here so far. Ugh
I expect that the soon to be debagged POTUS has enough on his plate. Having had his Twitter Megaphone amputated!
Nice story and emphasises that Gib is still very much part of the Realm. Off subject I see a story in this morning Mail Online regarding serious ongoing problems with the US Navy’s electromagnetic catapult system.Maybe the RN had a lucky escape with the decision not to opt for this!
It does seem to be an endless source of headaches for them – that, and the aircraft and weapons lifts on the Ford class. I’m sure if anyone can get it figured out though it’s the yanks
Lots of ‘airheads’ nowadays, because heavy engineering proper has mostly gone by the board from the Universities. Lots of students come to me and say I’m in engineering. They mean computer science. I know its all related, but how many computer scientists do you need to change a light bulb?
And another story where we self flagellate rather than shout from the roof tops we selected a level of technology that was appropriate and would work as a package.
Let’s face it QEC has actually been a great success story.
With heavy lift drone now being seriously looked at, now the tech is maturing, I have great hopes in the long term for Air-to-air refuelling and a drone successor to CrowsNest.
I suspect this was always to thinking but the modernisation funding makes drones sexy as it will release cabs for other duties. So this fits with the direction of policy and funding travel.
We were lucky that the bean counters were mean and wouldn’t pay for the change!
When you consider that the cost of the whole excercise in fitting out the 2 QEC’s would have paid for a third carrier plus the 2 year delay to the in service date then nowonder(and thank goodness) the idea was rejected
HMG have to ask Spain for permission beforehand? One hell of deal they got out of our “leaders”
What is your source for this?
No source, it’s a question. That’s what ‘?’ means
I think you need to read your own post. Your second statement is clearly a statement.
The second statement refers to our startlingly capable government negotiating us into a position where we need a visa and passport checks to enter Gibraltar and the Spanish do not. Oh, and the Spanish government will oversee customs checks and border control
The Spanish don’t need a Visa to enter a part of Spain. Heaven forbid! ?
Well they could just have website that auto issues a visa to anyone with a valid British passport?
Wouldn’t be hard to do.
You could put a banned list of passport numbers into the site if you wanted to be thorough.
Would be the usual EU fudge: do it but in principle only!!