Post-holiday COVID testing demand leads to long lines

It was clear that COVID-19 was top of mind for many in the metro as people waited in long lines to get tested on Sunday.

The state-run COVID-19 testing facility in Brooklyn Park had a steady line for most of the day, with a mass of people waiting in the cold.

At one point, the facility stopped honoring appointments and moved to walk-in-only testing.

“I’m frustrated,” Chelsea Chandavong said about her dishonored appointment.

It was Chandavong’s second trip to the site that day — after seeing the long line in the morning she scheduled an appointment, but when she arrived for it, those working at the site told her would have to still wait in line.

That was not the only frustration of people trying to take a test.

With about an hour left of the site being open, a worker walked the line to tell people they would not be doing any more rapid tests.

“Now, we’re sitting in line for a saliva test that we’re probably not going to get results for a day,” Hannah Peterson, said in line.

Peterson was in line because she had symptoms. She was hoping to take a rapid test because of going back to work after the holidays.

“And then it’s like, what do you do about work? It’s just, I guess it’s just frustration,” Peterson added.

Find a list of testing locations here.