Oneida County is planning to set up a drive-thru vaccination site at Griffiss in Rome, and County Executive Anthony Picente says it could be open as soon as Friday.

While that is the best case scenario, Picente says a lot goes into planning these sites, and the county needs to ensure it will be safe and efficient before opening to the public.

“We hope to have that up and running as early as Friday. I don’t want to get too far ahead of ourselves, there is a great deal that goes in to setting up these pods to make sure we are staffed, spaced out -- we have the proper accommodations for everyone,” said Picente during a COVID update on Facebook Live Wednesday.

A site at MVCC in Utica was opened earlier this week as the state opened vaccine eligibility to people in Phase 1B, including teachers, public safety workers and the elderly.

Appointments for the MVCC site are booked through the end of the week, but Picente says people may be able to start scheduling weekend appointments Wednesday night.

The links to register are on the county website, and will be updated as more appointments and vaccination sites are available.

More information on vaccination sites and scheduling can be found in the NEWSChannel 2 Vaccine Guide.