The Athlone Stadium is being transformed into Cape Town’s first drive-through mass vaccination site.
The City of Cape Town confirmed that it is leasing the stadium free of charge to the Western Cape Government.
Plans are that the walk-in facility will be operational in early August, while the drive-through facility will come online two weeks later.
When the facility is complete, it will have five lanes at the drive-through, while the walk-through facility will have 40 stations for those who are eligible to be vaccinated.
“The drive-through facility has taken much preparation, including an intensive traffic plan to minimise long queues as far as possible. The drive-through offers an alternative vaccination option to residents.
“Benefits include aspects such as allowing parents to keep their young children in the car, while they are vaccinated, and will hopefully encourage those that are vaccine hesitant to consider this safe and easy alternative,” said City of Cape Town Mayor Dan Plato.
Western Cape Premier Alan Winde said: “Every single person, no matter where they live, or what they earn, must have access to life-saving vaccines. I am therefore extremely excited that we will be opening a mass vaccination site in Athlone, bringing vaccines close to residents across the Metro.