A "super vaccination weekend" kicks off tomorrow (Friday) in Derbyshire and will see thousands of residents receiving Covid-19 jabs at walk-in clinics without the need for appointments.

The drive for vaccinations across the county will see centres offering walk-in clinics to all Derbyshire residents aged 18 or above.

This includes clinics at Derby Arena, Ikhlas Community Centre in Normanton, Littlewick Medical Centre in Ilkeston, Long Eaton Health Centre, the Winding Wheel in Chesterfield and Sharley Park Leisure Centre in Clay Cross.

The nearest ones to Swadlincote and South Derbyshire are at Derby Arena and Normanton.

Anyone who has not yet had a vaccine can turn up for a jab without an appointment and residents who had their first jab on or before April 30 can turn up for their vital second dose without a booking.

Both the Pfizer/BioNTech and AstraZeneca/Oxford University vaccines will be available.

The vaccine push has been heralded as the main way in which residents can protect themselves and others as well as preventing further new variant strains of Covid-19, including those which may be able to bypass jabs.

This "super vaccination weekend" from Friday, June 25 to Monday, June 28 is the big push to get as many people as possible jabbed by July 19 – when the last stage of lockdown easing is to take place.

It also comes at a time when cases of the Delta variant in Derbyshire have doubled in the past week to more than 400 incidences of the strain.

The Delta strain is much more transmissible (spreads quicker) and has a higher chance of causing hospitalisation.

Overall cases of Covid-19 in the county are also rising, increasing from 121 infections in the final week of May to 703 cases in the most recent week.

Health chiefs have stressed there is a "race to vaccinate".

The county has, as of the vaccines administered to June 20, given Covid vaccinations to 83.82 per cent of all adults in Derbyshire, while 65.65 per cent of adults in the county and city have had both vaccine doses.

Data shows that 136,054 Derbyshire residents aged 16 and above had not yet had a vaccine (16 and 17-year-olds are not eligible) and 29,313 residents aged 40 and above had not had a jab.

Steve Lloyd, executive medical director for Derby and Derbyshire Clinical Commissioning Group, said: "Our Super Weekend starts on Friday to encourage even more people to get their jab.

"We are encouraging anyone who has not yet had their first dose and those who had their first dose on or before April 30 and need to have their second dose to come and have their vaccine.

"The process will be really quick and easy and there will be no need to book an appointment at any of the sites that are open over the weekend.

"I would urge the public to visit the sites early to receive a vaccine to help protect themselves, their families and their loved ones.

"We know the rate of infection is increasing nationally and we are seeing increases in Derby and Derbyshire.

"We have seen in the past that a few cases can very quickly lead to a big increase in community transmission.

"That is why it is important that we all get our vaccine and protect ourselves as soon as possible. This will also help the nation as we come to review the lockdown situation ahead of July 19."

Here are the Derby Arena walk-in clinic details:

Saturday, June 26:

Derby Arena, 8am-8pm

Ikhlas Community Centre, Normanton, 3pm-7pm

Sunday, June 27:

Derby Arena, 8am-8pm

Ikhlas Community Centre, Normanton, 3pm-7pm

Updates across the "super vaccination weekend" will be available HERE.

Frequently asked questions with more information are also available HERE.