Short wait times at Valley COVID-19 testing sites

Members of the public getting COVID testing at Maryvale High School and South Mountain Park on Saturday didn’t have to wait long, and there were plenty of unfilled appointments on the second day of a free, federal 12-day testing blitz.

It typically took someone at the South Mountain site about 12 minutes from start to finish on the first day of testing Friday, while it took about 30 minutes at the more congested Maryvale site on Saturday, according to Phoenix Fire Department Capt. Rob McDade.

He highlighted the importance of having the free testing opportunity in the Maryvale community, which is among the hardest-hit areas in the state and made headlines in June after people waited 13 hours to get tested.

That prompted Gov. Doug Ducey and Department of Health Services Director Dr. Cara Christ to commit to increasing testing in the Maryvale area.

McDade said both locations have the capacity to test 3,000 people per day but that only 1,000 had registered at the Maryvale campus Saturday morning and less than that registered at South Mountain.

There were less than 500 preregistered for Sunday’s event at South Mountain and 800 at Maryvale as of 11 a.m. Saturday, he said.

“If you’re unsure, just get the test,” he said. “It’s here, it’s free.”

Nearly half of the calls made to Phoenix Fire Station #25 in Maryvale have been COVID or COVID-related in the last three weeks, McDade said.

McDade said testing efforts in the community have been impacted by the closure of community organizations with Spanish translators, which made it challenging to inform the Spanishspeaking community of testing options. He hoped media outlets and social media would help get as many people as possible tested during the blitz.

He added that no one would be turned away at either site. If someone didn’t pre-register, McDade said a staffer would walk them through the process at the testing location.

McDade also reminded the public that the events featured “touchless testing,” meaning an employee would give them testing materials and walk them through how to administer the test on themselves.

The method is meant to decrease the number of staffers getting infected by administering tests, he said.

Bella Gonzales, 47, was among those getting tested at the Maryvale site, though she said she did not have any symptoms of COVID-19.

“I just wanna make sure ... I’m not a carrier, to make sure I’m protecting my family and others,” she said.

Gonzales said it was “great” to have the opportunity to get a free test, saying she wishes that option had come to the Maryvale community sooner.

“There’s a lot of people that can’t even pay rent — how are they gonna pay for something so costly?” she said, of tests.

Gonzales said she got tested two months ago in Tempe and waited several hours, but that the process on Saturday was “really smooth.”

Those interested in getting a test at the Maryvale or South Mountain locations can preregister at the DHS website.

Arizona Republic USA TODAY NETWORK