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Duval County Dept. of Health is working to keep up with the heightened demand for COVID-19 testing

JACKONVILLE, Fla. — Right now, it’s the only walk up testing site in Jacksonville. Other pharmacies like CVS and Walgreens have testing by appointment only, and many are out of tests waiting for new shipments to come in.

The line at Central Health Plaza Thursday was wrapped around the building.

“We’ve been here for 50 minutes waiting in the line. It’s 90 degrees,” explains David Mora.

Jacob Stanley and his sons also in line for close to an hour, everyone just waiting to get a COVID-19 test.

And many not expecting the line to be as long as it was.

Stanley explains, “I didn’t actually think that it would be this long.”

“What happened with the previous test sites that we had? I think it was easier to test and I think we are still in the pandemic and were still having to wait for an hour to get..I’m halfway so I’m assuming I still have 30 to 44 more minutes to go,” adds Mora.

Sarah Valois and her two girls tried several other places before coming to the walk up site at the Central Health Plaza on 6th street to get tested.

“We went to the Legends Center and they were closed. We tried three different Walgreens, they were all booked out. It was really hard to find anything!”

Mora says, “If you make appointments on a private place it takes 24 to 48, 72 hours to get the appointment.”

We asked the Florida Department of Health Duval County if there were any plans to reopen Regency or other testing sites.

We’re told in part, “While we are planning to set up testing and vaccination sites to address health disparities in underserved populations, there is not currently a plan to reopen a mass testing site.”

Right now the walk up testing site is open Tuesday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

But the department tells Action News Jax it is hoping to expand to five days a week by Aug. 2.

Many said despite the heat and long lines, it was worth the wait.

“Whatever to do to stay safe that’s all it’s about.”