Testing at center: Overnight waits, capacity reached

In what was described Saturday as “nothing but a sea of cars,” people waited to be tested for the coronavirus on a busy day at the Orange County Convention Center in southwest Orlando.

Some had waited overnight, reported the Florida Association of Public Information Officers, which is working with the state’s Division of Emergency Management, the agency running drivethough test sites in the fight against COVID-19.

The first car lined up at 12:30 a.m., the association tweeted Saturday morning .

Testing doesn’t start until 9 a.m. at the convention center, which began hosting the drive-through service in May.

The site can process 200 tests each hour, according to the association. Those waiting in line were warned that the wait from the end of the line would take between six to eight hours due to high demand.

Although antibody testing was increased to 300 on Saturday, the association reported right around opening time that capacity had been reached. Swab testing continues until 5 p.m., although the line was cut off for new arrivals shortly before 2 p.m.

Antibody tests check to see if people have had COVID-19 and developed antibodies to the virus. The swab testing looks for active cases.

The public-information association anticipated processing 1,675 swab tests by the end of the day.

Alongside photos and video of a stream of vehicles in its “sea of cars” tweet, the association offered these reminders to those seeking testing:

■ Have a full tank of gas and working air conditioning;

■ Car windows must be able to fully open and close;

■ Those seeking tests must be 18 or older and have photo ID;

■ No more than five people should be in a car, seated in the first two rows only; and

■ Bring water, snacks, medicine and anything else necessary for a long wait.

“Don’t forget to bring patience — and plenty of it,” the association advised.

On Friday, 1,577 swab tests were done at the convention center and sent for lab processing, the association said. On-site antibody tests numbered 272.

The convention-center testing site is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days a week, but officials warned that wait times were likely to continue to increase.

They tweeted: “Each day this week the lines have been longer than the previous day.”