HENRIETTA, N.Y. — When people walked through the doors of the Dome Arena Wednesday morning, they were met by more than a dozen tables with health care workers sitting at all of them, waiting to administer the COVID-19 vaccine.

People like Marissa Harris, a teacher with the West Irondequoit Central School District, said getting the vaccine was quick and easy. Getting the appointment to get the vaccine was the hard part.

"I was watching the signup website, the Am I Eligible website very closely, and I kept refreshing it, I think it was Friday. And then I was one of the lucky ones, they let me in," said Harris. "It's stressful. Everybody's trying to get appointments. I was texting my parents to get on the site because they're over 65...I know many friends who are also teachers who had trouble or schedule pretty far out."

Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul came to the Dome to kick off the vaccination site. She says Gov. Andrew Cuomo has a goal to be the first COVID-19 free state, but that can only happen if the federal government gives the state more doses.

"Everywhere we have a distribution point set up, whether it's run by the counties, the hospitals, the long term facilities, or places like this, they could be populated with thousands more people," said Hochul. "We can handle it here. We're ready for this. We've been preparing for this. The only thing missing is an adequate supply of vaccines from the federal government."

She said the state was originally given 300,000 weekly doses, but then that was cut back to 250,000 just this past week, which does not match the number of people now eligible under group 1A and 1B. 

Philip Goliber, who was eligible to get the vaccine because of his age, said it was a huge relief, but he is waiting on his wife to be able to get it, and hopes the new White House administration under Joe Biden will make that happen faster.

"We're hopeful that the new administration will make use of the emergency orders and increase vaccine production, because I think that's what everyone's waiting for," said Goliber.

The Dome Arena is open seven days a week with the goal of administering 500 doses of the vaccine a day as shipments come. People should keep checking the Am I Eligible state website for appointment openings.