A COVID vaccination centre in Southampton is one of 32 new sites due open across the country this week.

The facility will operate from the Southampton Clinical Commissioning Group’s offices in Oakley Road.

NHS England said letters have already been sent out to people over the age of 80 in the vicinity of the new sites inviting them to book a jab.

The latest tranche of 32 vaccine sites nationally include a race course, a show ground, a football stadium and a former Ikea store.

They will be focusing on offering jabs to health and social care staff on Monday, before opening their doors to other priority patients on Tuesday.

The new centres will mean there is a network of 49 mass vaccination sites across England.

There are also 70 pharmacies offering the jab, as well as more than 1,000 GP surgeries and 250 hospitals.

As of the end of the day on Friday, 5.9 million people had received their first dose of the vaccine across the UK.

Sir Simon Stevens, NHS chief executive said: “The whole of the NHS has mobilised to set about delivering this huge Covid-19 vaccination programme, and as more supply becomes available, we’re able to expand its reach and scale.”

Health Secretary Matt Hancock appealed to the public to stick to social distancing measures as the vaccine roll out continues.

“While the vaccine can prevent severe disease, we do not know if it stops you from passing on the virus to others, and it takes time to develop immunity after a jab,” he said.

“So for now everyone must continue to stay at home to help bring down infections and protect the NHS.”

Those eligible for a vaccine will receive a letter and should not contact the health service, NHS England said.

You cannot get a vaccine just by turning up, and those given a time slot are asked not to arrive early to prevent queues and overcrowding.

The coronavirus hospital death toll in Hampshire now exceeds 1,400.

Across the weekend, updates from NHS England confirmed a further 59 deaths across the county’s NHS trusts.

University Hospital Southampton reported 22 of these deaths, meaning the trust has now recorded 354 Covid deaths since the start of the pandemic.

At Hampshire Hospitals, two more patients died with Covid-19, bringing the total to 334.

Portsmouth Hospitals Trust reported 31 deaths, taking its total to 668.

Southern Health NHS Trust and Solent NHS Trust both recorded a further two deaths, taking their respective totals to 40 and eight.

The county’s hospital coronavirus death toll now stands at 1,404.