The centuries-old cathedral has been turned into a vaccination hub by the NHS for the purpose of getting as many eligible people vaccinated as possible in the shortest amount of time. With numbers rising, creativity has to be utilised in order to get as many people vaccinated in short order.
Built in 1220 and completed in 1258, Salisbury Cathedral is an English icon of Gothic architecture. Its "official name" is Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary. While it is Anglican in denomination, the cathedral had started out as a Roman Catholic church. It was only after the Reformation in the 16th century that it had converted to Anglican. During the separation of the English church from Rome under Henry VIII, new ways of Protestant thinking led to dramatic changes throughout England. Common Catholic rituals such as the Cult of the Saints, praying for the dead and the elaborate Medieval patterns of worship, were all abolished.
In its current state, local GP's converted the transept of the cathedral into a pop-up vaccination clinic, while those most vulnerable to Covid-19 queued in the cloisters for their turn to be vaccinated. The cathedral was filled with live classical music; a mix of Bach, Handel and Pachelbel, in order to create a soothing atmosphere. In addition, those in attendance were assured that they were being constantly prayed for by the clergy and members of the cathedral community.
Screens have been put into place in order to keep people socially distant, as well as giving the medical staff and patients a modicum of privacy as they readied to receive their jab.
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