People wait 3 hours for COVID-19 test at Barnett Park site as demand increases

ORLANDO, Fla. - The demand for COVID-19 testing has increased at an Orange County site ahead of the holidays and in the midst of the spread of the Omicron variant.

The Orange County COVID-19 testing site at Barnett Park has reached capacity every day since last Wednesday. People were waiting in line for about three hours on Monday and officials say they believe it's going to get busier as we get closer to Christmas. Officials on site believe the demand is from a mix of people traveling, seeing family for the holidays and the concern over the Omicron variant.

"Probably people are getting more concerned about being exposed," said Daniella Sullivan, the Health Services Program Administrator with Orange County. "They want to make sure their family members are safe during the holiday, especially as we get close to Christmas that sense of urgency will increase."

According to numbers from Orange County in the week of Thanksgiving 3,675 people had come to the site at Barnett Park to get tested. As of last week, that number was at 6,516.

The big question is when should someone get a test. Dr. Jason Littleton suggests getting a rapid test 24 hours before seeing family.

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"You want to have some kind of demarcation to say I don’t have any symptoms, the test was negative, this is the most likely situation that it’s going to be safe," said Dr. Littleton.

However, if you have any symptoms, no matter how mild, he suggests getting a PCR test as they are more reliable. He also encourages people to skip Christmas celebrations if they're sick.

"Not everyone has the textbook clinical symptoms of COVID-19. Some people just have a scratchy throat and lethargy," said Dr. Littleton. "If you’re not feeling well, take a test, talk to your doctor, and use good common sense."

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