With large amounts of COVID-19 vaccine expected in Saskatchewan over the next few weeks, the province is getting ready.

Premier Scott Moe and Health Minister Paul Merriman were at the International Trade Centre in Regina on Thursday afternoon for a tour of what will be a mass immunization clinic which is expected to begin operation in April.

The government says the clinic will have 30 immunization tables set up inside the centre with each being able to deliver six to seven vaccines an hour.

Premier Scott Moe says the sit-in, drive-thru, and mobile vaccination clinics are more than capable of rolling out vaccines quickly, once it opens on March 1st.

Moe says while vaccinations will be ramping up soon, people need to be patient and stay the course.

“In the meantime, we need to all continue doing what we’re doing, we need to be careful, and we need to continue to follow the public health guidelines, and the public health advice we’ve been provided with by Dr. Shahab and his team,” said Moe.

Moe says clinics like this will be an integral part in winning the battle against COVID-19.

“Ultimately, the path forward for all of us is to visit a centre just like this, when it is our turn, receive our vaccination, is ultimately the way that we’re going to find our way through this COVID-19 global pandemic, in our province of Saskatchewan,” said Moe.

The immunization clinic at the International Trade Centre will be one of 226 sites across the province, including 150 mass clinics along with mobile and drive-thru clinics.

The news comes as the province announces 146 new cases of the virus with 171 recoveries putting the active case count to 1,516.

174 people are in hospital with 23 in intensive care.

The seven-day daily average now stands at 164 or 13.4 new cases per 100,000 people.