Hot Spots See Waits Of 8 Hours For Drive-Thru Testing

The New York Times reports:

Coronavirus testing sites in Arizona, Florida and Texas have become a source of tension and risk, with numerous residents waiting in long lines and others turned away as sites reached capacity, and crowding raising the risk of infection as people rushed to the front of the line at some centers.

Residents of these and other hard-hit U.S. states are turning out in droves to get tested as the coronavirus continues its surge across the South and West, threatening to overwhelm areas that until recently were spared the worst of the pandemic.

“Pushing, yelling, ZERO social distancing enforced,” one Houston resident wrote on Twitter. In Florida, the first car on Saturday at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando found its spot in line for testing at 12:30 a.m. even though testing did not start until 9 a.m.

Florida officials are warning people to make sure they have a full tank of gas before getting in the line.

First car in line showed up 12:30 a.m. today for @FLSERT #COVID19 Testing @OCCC. Testing starts at 9 a.m. Each day this week the lines have been longer than the previous day. This site can process 200 tests per hour but demand is so great, the wait from the end will be 6-8 hrs. pic.twitter.com/tzX091Jw7f

— Florida Association of Public Information Officers (@FloridaPIOs) June 27, 2020