SPARTANBURG, S.C. (WSPA) – Governor Henry McMaster was in the Upstate on Monday, taking a look at how things are going with the vaccine distribution.

“Good news! We can see the light at the end of the tunnel,” Governor McMaster said.

Those were the governor’s words after getting a tour of the vaccine distribution process going on at Spartanburg Medical Center. McMaster said he was impressed with what he saw.

“I’m very pleased, and I know everyone would be, with the way things are going at this hospital,” he said. “I wish they were going this well everywhere. And I wish they will be going this well in the pharmacies, doctors’ offices, and urgent cares that will be opening up soon.”

The governor told 7 News he’s hoping to get as many South Carolinians as possible vaccinated as quickly as possible.

“What we want to do is keep people from getting the virus to begin with,” he said. “Those shelves ought to be empty. The day the new shipment arrives, the old shipment ought to be in somebody’s arm.”

For those concerned about the amount of vaccine available, McMaster said he expects that even more people who want the vaccine will be able to get it very soon.

“In just a few weeks, I’m hoping they’re able to produce twice as many doses as they’re producing today,” he said.

After his tour, McMaster said he’s hoping to use Spartanburg Medical Center as an example of what other hospitals and vaccine providers should be doing.

“It’s quite something in there,” he said. “The hospital is set up as just what we’re looking for, around the state, among hospitals.”

But, McMaster said, until the vaccine is more readily available, we must continue to follow the same safety guidelines we’ve been hearing all along, like wearing our masks, washing our hands, and practicing social distancing.

“It won’t be long before there’ll be ample vaccine. There will be short lines–if any lines at all–because we’ll have so much vaccine and so many places open to give it; but, until then, we’ve got to be smart, be careful, be patient, and be disciplined,” he said.

According to health officials at Spartanburg Medical Center, they plan to expand their vaccine distribution program and hope to have 10,000 doses available each week.