Disneyland in California started off a mass COVID-19 vaccination
centre on Wednesday, with the theme-park’s closure about 10 months back due to the
unprecedented viral surge, reported AFP.

The first lot to be fortunately securing online appointments
drove up on Wednesday morning to the parking lot of the Anaheim resort. In the
designated tents, reportedly, citizens over the age of 65 years as well as
healthcare workers were the first to get the jabs.

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Orange County, situated near Los Angeles, announced late on
Monday that Disneyland would organise its first vaccination ‘super POD’ (Point-of-dispensing),
and received 10,000 registrations within the first two hours on Tuesday.

California’s slower rate of inoculation compared to other
states has been criticised previously, with state officials stating on Wednesday
that the eligibility criteria for the vaccination imposed earlier was being
widened to include everyone over the age of 65 years – a move Orange County had
already initiated.

“Today for many people getting vaccinated, it is truly
the happiest place on Earth,” AFP quoted Orange County supervisor Lisa Bartlett
as saying in an apparent reference to the Disneyland-tagline.

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The vaccination site will soon be providing over 7,000 vaccinations
everyday.

The entire southern Californian region had returned to
having ‘stay-at-home’ orders earlier in December, forcing most businesses to
close shop yet again, after a drop in the number of COVID 19 cases throughout
summer and fall.