Dan McKee’s faith in local leadership and volunteers was reaffirmed Monday when he visited the vaccination site being run by Warwick at Vets Middle School.

He also let Mayor Frank Picozzi know that teachers are high on his list to be vaccinated, although he did not offer a timetable when that might start.

Nonetheless, as of this week, educator/teacher is an added option listed on the state’s vaccination registration site. School staff members are also now eligible through the pharmacy vaccination program at CVS. President Joe Biden on Tuesday announced a national push to prioritize teachers in the vaccine rollout.

The lieutenant governor, who was sworn in as governor on Tuesday following U.S. Senate confirmation of Gina Raimondo as Secretary of Commerce, found a smooth-running operation as Warwick residents 65 and older streamed into the school gym to get their first of two inoculations. In the first two weeks of operating, the clinic administered the Moderna vaccine. This Monday, they were administering the Pfizer vaccine, meaning that the city is now scheduling additional clinics as the Pfizer follow-up vaccination is to be administered in three weeks and the Moderna in four weeks. Those receiving shots Monday were given appointments to return on Sunday, March 21.

McKee spent the first 10 minutes of his visit watching the operation and talking with Picozzi and Fire Chief Peter McMichael. They questioned whether Warwick would see an increase in doses and what would be expected of them. McKee was impressed to learn that the clinic had scheduled 640 vaccinations, and he stopped McMichael when he described how changes in the process increased efficiencies.

Had he heard McMichael correctly when he said the time to check in a recipient and administer the vaccine has been cut from 10 to eight minutes? McMichael assured him that was the case.

Picozzi emphasized the role of volunteers and how the city is dependent on school nurses, retired firefighters and a cadre of people to make the system run smoothly. In an interview Tuesday, Picozzi reiterated earlier comments that he doesn’t see the city-run volunteer dependent clinics as sustainable.

He also talked about McKee’s goal to vaccinate teachers.

Picozzi supports the goal, but said teacher assistants, principals as well as custodians should be included. He said McKee was in agreement.

Reached Tuesday, Warwick teachers union president Darlene Netcoh concurred that school personnel should be treated as essential workers and have the opportunity to be vaccinated.

“Some teachers, just like the public at large, don’t wish to be vaccinated, so it should not be mandatory, but it should be offered as soon as possible to teachers and support professionals who want it,” she said.

What McKee deems important is for the state and municipalities to build the capacity to accommodate even greater numbers as the supply of the vaccine increases. He called this a time of “building capacity” to meet the demand. He imagines there will be a time with greater availability of vaccines that clinics will be open without age restrictions and scheduled appointments.

At this time, McKee said 75 percent of the populace wants to be vaccinated. However, he noted there are those who don’t want to be vaccinated or are waiting to feel comfortable before being vaccinated. He thought there could be a need for a campaign promoting vaccinations at some point.

That isn’t an issue now.

McKee pointed out that at Picozzi’s request, the city was able to gain clearance to give fire dispatchers the vaccine. Picozzi remarked they are as critical to the system as first responders who were considered among the group of essential personnel to first receive vaccinations.

McKee also said that following an initial $64 million the state received in federal funds for the vaccination rollout, it would be getting an additional $64 million. Monies from that allotment, he said, would go to municipalities to reimburse for the “resources that they’re putting out.”

Asked at a press conference following his tour when the vaccine might be available for teachers, as is being done in some other states, McKee was noncommittal.

“We’ll work in the teachers,” he said to reporters.

McKee envisions five statewide sites and five regional clinics when fully up and operational.