Long lines for COVID-19 testing at CenturyLink Sports Complex ahead of Christmas

More and more people are getting tested for COVID-19 as they are preparing to meet family for the holidays.

And the lines of cars waiting to get tested at CenturyLink Sports Complex shows it.

The Health Department said cases are rising about 20,000 cases a day thanks to the omicron variant.

Gabe Trank, who is visiting family in Southwest Florida, said he has been getting tested every day in preparation for a ski trip that leaves on Saturday.

Trank said he doesn’t want to expose his loved ones.

“I’m going to be with my girlfriend and her family and so just want to make sure that I am completely COVID Free,” he said.

He made the line for a test just like Lindsey Toth.

“I wanted to make sure I didn’t give anything to my parents or my family is important to me, and I want to keep them safe,” Toth said.

In Lee County, 67% of people over the age of five are vaccinated.

“I had kind of allergy symptoms on yesterday, and I took an at-home test and it tested positive. So I’m here to get a PCR test,” Toth said. “I work from home. So I’m pretty serious about staying isolated and quarantined. So I’m actually pretty surprised that I got this.”

Toth and Isis Rodriguez are getting tested after experiencing symptoms so their families can have a safe holiday season.

“I don’t want any vulnerable relative to be sick if we can prevent it,” Rodriguez said.

Waiting in line was no big deal for those who wanted to keep their families safe.

“It might have ruined our time, but it kept my family safe,” Toth said.

If you need to get tested on Christmas Eve, there will be testing available at CenturyLink from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.