どちらか

[healer]

自分が住む市や町でも予約をした人は、どちらかの予約をやめてほしいと国は言っています。

Easier Japanese Practice

建物などの材料に使っていたアスベストは、体に悪いことがわかって、今は使うことができません。建物を作っていた人たちは、体に悪いことを知らないまま仕事でアスベストを吸ってがんなどの病気になったと言って、裁判を起こしていました。 最高裁判所は17日、「国と建物の材料を作る会社に責任があります」と言いました。菅総理大臣は18日、裁判を起こした人たちに会って、「皆さんに心からおわびします」と謝りました。そして、できるだけ早く国が責任をとるためにお金を払って、裁判を起こしていない人たちも助けると言いました。...

nhkeasier.com

I have expected it to say not to book for the vaccination at one of the big venues if you have booked in the city or town you are living in.
And どちらかの予約をやめて I think it means "not to book either one". How does it fit into the context?

 

[Toritoribe]

The key is 自分が住む市や町でも予約をした人, thus, it doesn't simply refer to the place where they booked. You also need to know that people can have the vaccination at a local venue (including hospital or clinic) in their city or town other than the two big venues in Tokyo and Osaka. Now it's clear what どちらか refers to, isn't it?

 

[healer]

Thanks for your help!

I do understand what 自分が住む市や町でも予約をした人 means but I can't translate どちらかの予約をやめてto fit in with context though I understand every word. Perhaps I miss some grammar points.

I understand どちらか means "either,one (of the two)". If I translate that word for word, it would be "stop either booking" or "stop booking either one" which doesn't quite make sense to me. I expected it to say not to book both at the same time or book either one only.

I'm thinking of the following but I'm not sure if they're correct. I hope you would comment and correct. Thanks!
どちらかだけの予約をして
Book only one of them.
どちらもの予約をやめて
Do not book both of them.

 

[Toritoribe]

If I translate that word for word, it would be "stop either booking" or "stop booking either one" which doesn't quite make sense to me.

Because your translation "to stop" is not appropriate for やめる there, similar to "to change" vs. "to be different" for 変わる. (Hint: think about why the past form 予約をした is used.)

どちらかだけの予約をして
Book only one of them.

It's grammatically correct, but doesn't fit the context.

どちらもの予約をやめて
Do not book both of them.

Ungrammatical. It should be どちらの予約も.