Long lines continue as Lee County testing sites go appointment-only

Reporter: Andrea Guerrero Writer: Drew Hill
Published:
Line for COVID-19 tests at the CenturyLink test site in Fort Myers. (Credit: WINK News)

With at-home COVID-19 tests selling out and appointments at pharmacies filling up fast, many are turning to the county’s larger-scale testing sites. But as New Year’s Eve approaches, many sites will be closed.

On Wednesday, the Florida Department of Health in Lee County announced that its COVID-19 testing sites would be appointment-only access. But, with the site on Michigan Ave in Fort Myers closed for the holiday weekend, those searching for a test have few places to turn.

CenturyLink Sports Complex has become the go-to place for COVID-19. Zachary Angelo is from Estero, and he came to get tested. “I’ve been here before, and I have never seen it this long, so beforehand, it was a lot easier just kind of drive in and out,” said Angelo.

WINK News tried a few pharmacies to get an at-home test but so far, no luck. Dan Bohan tried that, too. “Yes, they were out,” said Bohan.

Many testing sites, like the FDOH-Lee one, are closed. Other sites don’t have any appointments available.

Jacob Stahl says he tried an urgent care facility. “We tried going to MedExpress,” said Stahl. “They had a three-hour wait period.”

Many people who showed up to CenturyLink on Thursday didn’t know that pre-registering is a must if they don’t want to be turned away. “I thought it was just you drove up, filled out a form. But it was pretty simple. Just filling everything out on the phone, it took me about five minutes,” Angelo said.

However, it wasn’t the pre-registering process that likely had everyone up on arms. Maira Villanueva lives in Fort Myers. “I think that we need to open more testing,” she said.

“It’s crazy. I looked through CVS, and they’re booked till Monday,” Stahl said.

The CenturyLink testing site will be open on Friday and Saturday. Pre-registering only takes a few minutes, so the best advice is to do that before arriving.

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