Drive-thru COVID-19 vaccine clinic causes traffic jams in Delaware City

Because of the high demand and rush of cars lined up at the Delaware City site, Delaware State Police advised people to find alternate routes or avoid the area.

Rudy Chinchilla and Tim Furlong, NBC10

January 23, 2021

In order to cope with the demand for COVID-19 vaccines, DMVs in Delaware have been repurposed into megasites for vaccine distribution. (NBC10)

This article originally appeared on NBC10.

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A drive-thru clinic was causing traffic delays Saturday in Delaware City as throngs of cars lined up with people eager to get their dose of coronavirus vaccine.

The event, being run by the Delaware City DMV, was one of two events in the state offering nearly 12,000 qualified and pre-registered seniors a shot of vaccine through the weekend. Because of the high demand and subsequent rush of cars lined up at the Delaware City site, the Delaware State Police Department advised people to find alternate routes or avoid the area.

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State police said South DuPont Highway in the area of Wrangle Hill Road, Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway southbound at the Wrangle Hill Road/Delaware City exit and Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway northbound at the Wrangle Hill Road/Delaware City exit were experiencing heavy traffic and long delays.

The clinic was scheduled to remain open through 4 p.m.

While the traffic may be a headache for some, Dr. Rick Pescatore, of the Delaware Divison of Public Health, lauded the effectiveness of the event in terms of getting people their dose of vaccine.

“The DMV model is an important one. It allows us to get a lot of shots in arms very quickly,” he said.

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