The department store’s Meridian Mall branch closed in January, but this week its lower ground floor was transformed into the first southern Covid-19 vaccination centre.
Yesterday, at its official opening, staff who will give thousands of injections in the centre over the next few months underwent an orientation session on their new work space.
Initially, the centre will administer vaccinations for the region’s frontline health workers, but eventually the general population will be vaccinated there too.
"At the moment we have six vaccinators working across the week, but there will be various trigger points where we will have to expand that workforce. We may ... have to go to after hours or weekends as well," he said.
Around 575,000 vaccinations are required for everyone aged 16+ in the South to receive the required two doses, three weeks apart.
A similar centre will be set up in Invercargill and Mr Brown said final details were being sorted out on a lease space there.
Clinics for Queenstown and Central Otago health workers are planned for mid-April.
The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine must be stored at an ultra low temperature, and southern stocks are being held in a special freezer in Christchurch.
Mr Brown said the vaccine was being shipped to an SDHB facility before being taken to the new clinic to be dispensed.
Logistics were still being worked out as to how to vaccinate Southerners in more remote locations.
Mr Brown said those people should not have to wait until last to receive their vaccinations, although more far-flung areas did pose a challenge.
"We have got some unique challenges in southern. We are very distributed and we have three ports and potentially two international airports as well, so there is some complexity ...
"We need to work very closely with our primary care providers to make sure we get the vaccine out to rural communities and that there is a reasonable level of equity."
“Having faced the challenge and disruptions caused by Covid-19 over the past year, it is a great relief to now have the opportunity to be rolling out a vaccine to protect our population.”
The vaccination programme began three weeks ago with port workers, and they and their families are receiving second and first doses of the vaccine respectively.
People regarded as high risk are expected to start being vaccinated in May, with the general population following in July.
