Communities throughout New Jersey are preparing mass vaccination centers to distribute the coronavirus vaccine.

Crews were out Saturday to transform a former Kmart building in West Orange into a mega vaccination center.

In its first three weeks, health professionals will have the capacity to vaccinate 1,000 people a day. Three weeks after that, the number will increase to 2,000.

The numbers of those that will actually get vaccinated will depend on how many vaccines will be provided to the county by the federal government and state.

The West Orange site is one of five mass vaccination sites in Essex County.

The other sites in the county include the former Sears building at Livingston Mall, Donald Payne Vocational School, Essex County College and West Caldwell School of Technology.

Essex County Executive Joe Divincenzo says the county is expected to get vaccines either Dec. 21 or Dec. 23. He says if they get doses on either of those days, they would immediately begin vaccinating at all of the sites.

"We had to go through a process but we got it all done within two weeks and we're going to have it set up within two weeks," Divincenzo says. "And the reason for expediting it is because we want to be treated like we're the top priority and we're ready to go."

He says health care workers and first responders will be vaccinated first for at least a month.

All of the sites are expected to be operational by Friday.

Divincenzo says those who are eligible to get vaccinated will need to get an appointment by going to essex.covid and fill out an application.