Officials are turning people away from the free COVID-19 testing site that opened in Cleveland's University Circle Tuesday morning.
"Due to high demand at the Community COVID-19 testing site at W.O. Walker Building, staffed by the Ohio Department of Health and Ohio National Guard, anyone not in line currently will be turned away," wrote a Cleveland Clinic spokesperson. The clinic is supporting the testing site along with University Hospitals.
Those not already in line in the W.O. Walker Building garage parking lot will not be able to get a test today. The site will be open again tomorrow.
A glimpse of some of the confusion/disorganization in the drive-thru testing line - this is at E 105 & Euclid. @WCPN pic.twitter.com/W832ecKtzH — Anna Huntsman (@AnnaHuntsman_) December 21, 2021
Traffic around University Circle remained snarled around midday as an unknown number of Northeast Ohioans attempted to reach a free COVID-19 testing site run by the Ohio National Guard and the Ohio Department of Health.
Transportation head aches began before the site opened Tuesday morning. The parking lot outside the W.O. Walker Building garage in University Circle filled to capacity by 8:30 a.m. Tuesday -- a half an hour before the testing site opened on its first day. Police were on scene directing traffic.
Shortly before noon, vehicles were backed-up "as far as the eye can see" down Euclid Avenue to the east of the W.O. Walker Building garage where the testing site is located, according to an eye witness at the scene.
I just spoke with Yolonda Davis from Cleveland, who left the line after waiting an hour. She said she was fearful of people cutting cars off and driving unsafely. She says she called the police asking for someone to direct traffic @WCPN pic.twitter.com/ZjqJNABJoi — Anna Huntsman (@AnnaHuntsman_) December 21, 2021
The site will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 10524 Euclid Avenue Tuesday through Sunday, but will be closed on Saturday.
Patients do not need an appointment, but must register online before arriving. Select Ohio and then search for the "Walker Center" location.
The site will provide PCR tests for those ages 2 and over and results will be available in two to three days.
The testing site is available to everyone and masks are required.
The site was announced amid surging COVID-19 infection and hospitalization numbers that have driven many to incorporate testing into their holiday plans.
Demand for test seems to be outstripping supply. At-home COVID-19 antigen tests are in short supply across the Cleveland-Akron area.
Video courtesy of Jacqueline Rosenberger.
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