Long lines form at Bay Area COVID-19 testing sites as demand jumps

TAMPA, Fla. - If you need to get tested for COVID-19, put aside some extra time. You can expect to see long lines at many walk-up test sites across Tampa Bay.

When the site at Palm River Park opened a few weeks ago to deal with the dramatic spike in cases because of the delta variant, they expected to see 500 people a day to show up. 

Now, on average, 1,600 a day are coming in to be tested.

"A lot of people need to get tested, so there is no perfect way to avoid long lines," said Florida Department of Health spokesman Kevin Watler.

He says it is impossible to predict how many people will be going to any particular site at any particular time -- so expect a wait.

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There are alternatives to walk-up sites. You can go to a pharmacy like Walgreens or CVS, or a private test site, but don’t be surprised if they don’t have an appointment for a few days because the demand is so great.

Watler says about one in five people tested are coming up positive for the virus, an indication that it is especially contagious and spreading rapidly.

"The one thing we want to stress," added Watler, "is that if you are fully vaccinated, you have a much lower chance that you are going to need to be tested, because more than likely, you’re not going to get the virus."

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