San Diegans are experiencing long wait times at COVID-19 testing sites as more people rush to get tested for the virus after the holidays.
“I got here at 8:30 a.m., it’s now after 11:30 a.m., that’s over three hours standing,” Ellen Kaz said on Sunday, the first day county testing sites were back open following two days of closures for the New Year's holiday.
Katz said they didn't feel like they had another option besides waiting in line to get a test.
“There’s no home tests right now, you can’t find any,” Kaz said.
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Some San Diegans said they want to get tested because they were around large crowds over the holidays. Others want to be safe before returning to work and some say they are showing symptoms or were around another person who tested positive for COVID-19.
“I was having some symptoms this past week so I just wanted to get tested for safety for my family,” San Diegan Saray Basulto said.
Many San Diego County testing locations are allowing walk-up lines where an appointment is not needed to help accommodate more people, but the county is notifying people that the walk up lines may close earlier than the hours listed due to high demand.
“They have a website and different links you can check. I looked for a place that was open on Sunday and I told my wife no place is open on Sunday then I scrolled down further, and I saw two places were open,” Pharoah Anderson said.
Other options for those seeking COVID-19 tests include select Metropolitan Transit System -- which are operating pop-up testing locations -- pharmacies and private testing companies.
