COLUMBUS, Ga. (WRBL) – It only took hours Friday morning for Publix to fill the appointment schedule for the COVID-19 vaccine shots it will begin offering Saturday in Columbus, a store spokesperson tells News 3. 

“The rollout this morning went really smoothly,” said Nicole Krauss, a Publix spokesperson. “All of the appointments are accounted for. We have them set up in a way where there is enough time for the customer to ask the pharmacists the questions they might have.” 

There were about 800 shots offered at four Columbus Publix stores, according to information online. The registration site went action at 6 a.m. and every one of the 108 Publix stores throughout Georgia offering the vaccine were fully booked before 11 a.m. 

Publix is working with the Georgia Department of Public Health and Gov. Brian Kemp’s office to offer the vaccine on an appointment-only basis. 

There is also a city of Columbus clinic operating in conjunction with Georgia DPH and the hospitals. That clinic has vaccinated about 4,000 people in just over a week, Mayor Skip Henderson tells News 3. 

When additional vaccines become available, Publix tells News 3 they will offer online signup.