Mass COVID-19 vaccination facilities coming to Montgomery, Delaware counties

DREXEL HILL, Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- Plans are being made to get residents in Delaware and Montgomery counties protected against COVID-19.

Large vaccination sites will help administer the doses to as many people as possible.

But many residents say they still have plenty of questions about the rollout.

We met a group outside the Wawa in Upper Darby who said they were looking for more information.

"It's kind of very vague as far as how many are available and when exactly it's going to be more widespread," said Patrice Dorfman of Drexel Hill.

Rich Gallagher of Drexel Hill said, "They have to explain more to us more of what this is and what it's going to do."

SEE ALSO: What officials are saying about COVID-19 vaccination progress in Pa.

VACCINE ROLLOUT: Dr. Rachel Levine provides an update on the vaccination progress in Pennsylvania.

Dr. Monica Taylor, vice chair of Delaware County Council, told Action News where the county stands when it comes to administering the vaccine.

"We're up around 4,500 vaccinations thus far, the first round," said Taylor.

Dr. Taylor also said they are planning open three mass vaccination sites, including one in Yeadon.

"It will be at our wellness center and so that's a definite site and then we're looking at two sites in the middle of the county and one site on the western side," Taylor said.

However, she says the priority right now is health care workers. As for everyone else, she said, "It is going to be a fluid situation and we're going to learn as we go and make adjustments as it happens."

Action News has learned there will also be a mass vaccination site at the Montgomery County Community College in Blue Bell. The site is scheduled to open on Wednesday.

SEE ALSO: To speed up COVID-19 vaccine access, California doctor suggests single doses and delaying 2nd shot

As the new coronavirus variant spreads in the United Kingdom, health officials abroad have decided to extend the time between doses in order to vaccinate more people, more quickly. Now, doctors in the U.S. are discussing this, but not everyone agrees.

"Our goal is to get up to 2,000 a day, but we probably won't reach that until the end of January. So our immediate goal is 1,000 a day, but that depends on how much vaccine we receive," said Interim Health Administrator Janet Panning.

People will have to register on the Montgomery County's COVID-19 website, but like in Delaware County, Montgomery County is focusing on vaccinating frontline health care workers.

"The last two weeks we've received vaccine on Wednesday mornings and we received 2,000 doses each time," Panning said.

Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine said Monday that 135,044 Pennsylvanians have been vaccinated to date. She says it'll be several months before the wider population can expect to get the vaccine. She foresees an appointment style system to avoid long lines when the expanded rollout launches.

The Pennsylvania Department of Health confirmed 3,226 additional positive cases of COVID-19 on Monday, in addition to 4,579 new cases reported Sunday, January 3 for a two-day total of 7,805 additional positive cases of COVID-19. This brings the statewide total to 665,097.

There are 5,529 individuals hospitalized with COVID-19, near double the peak in the spring. Of that number, 1,149 patients are in the intensive care unit with COVID-19.