SINGAPORE - The operating hours of all joint testing and vaccination centres (JTVCs) and children’s vaccination centres (CVCs) on Saturdays will be extended to 7pm from this week.
This will make it more convenient for those seeking to get vaccinated. The extended time will be in place until the end of 2022, the Ministry of Health said in a press release on Thursday.
All JTVCs and CVCs will now be open from 9am to 7pm on Saturdays, the same as on weekdays. The centres previously stayed open until 1pm on Saturdays. The centres are closed on Sundays and public holidays.
MOH said about 20,000 people are being vaccinated against Covid-19 each day, and that it is encouraged by the take-up of the bivalent Moderna/Spikevax vaccine and vaccination and booster for children.
In October, The Straits Times reported longer waiting times at the JTVCs for the bivalent vaccine.
As at Wednesday, more than 186,000 people have received the bivalent Moderna/Spikevax vaccine dose, or have booked an appointment for it.
A total of 17,000 children, from six months to four years old, have either received the Moderna/Spikevax vaccine, or have a vaccination appointment, and 74,000 children between five and 11 years old have either received the Pfizer-BioNTech/Comirnaty booster or have an appointment.
Amid a higher demand for vaccines, MOH advises those aged 50 and older, who are allowed to walk in to a JTVC to get their vaccinations without appointments, to avoid doing so during the peak periods of Friday and Saturday mornings.
The less crowded hours are from Mondays to Thursdays before 6.30pm, and on Saturdays after 2pm, the ministry added.
Meanwhile, the vaccination centre at the former Hong Kah Secondary School in Jurong West will be converted into a JTVC from Nov 21 to optimise vaccination operations, said MOH. It will offer both the bivalent Moderna/Spikevax vaccine and monovalent Pfizer-BioNTech/Comirnaty vaccine.
However, the total number of JTVCs across the island will remain at 10 as the Bishan centre, which offers the Novavax/Nuvaxovid vaccine, will be closed after Saturday.
MOH said those who wish to receive the bivalent Moderna/Spikevax vaccine can go to the Ang Mo Kio JTVC.
From Nov 21, those who wish to receive the Novavax/Nuvaxovid vaccine can make an appointment at any of the 19 Public Health Preparedness Clinics, the Jurong Polyclinic or the Yishun Polyclinic.
