The Ohio National Guard members and the Ohio Department of Health are telling early birds who went to the drive-thru free COVID-19 testing site to come back after 9:30 a.m., according to an Ideastream reporter on the scene.
The parking lot outside the W.O. Walker Building garage in University Circle filled to capacity by 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, the first day the testing site was operational.
Police were on scene directing traffic.
Authorities are not turning away people who are looking to get tested for the virus. They are asking customers to come back once the testing site officially opens to keep roadways clear.
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 and results will be available in two to three days.
The testing site, supported by the Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals, 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.
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