SOUTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) - The day after Christmas brought long lines to COVID-19 testing sites in Miami-Dade County, as the highly transmissible omicron variant fueled concerns among South Floridians.
7News cameras captured bumper-to-bumper traffic stretching for nearly a mile along Bird Road near Tropical Park in Southwest Miami-Dade, Sunday afternoon.
Hundreds of people waited patiently to drive into the park to be tested.
Among them were a mother and daughter who said they have symptoms.
“We both just woke up with some symptoms, and we thought, ‘Let’s be safe, not sorry,'” said.
Cellphone video conveyed the magnitude of the high traffic volume, as cars snaked around and through the park.
Some who spoke with 7News had just arrived, while others had been waiting considerably longer.
“For three hours,” said a man.
The mother and daughter said that how they both felt this morning made them concerned that they might have contracted the virus.
“Stuffy nose, a little bit of body aches,” said the mother.
Others gave different reasons for getting tested.
“We’re traveling tomorrow. We want to make sure that we are clean,” said a man.
“We’re vaccinated and everything, but we didn’t feel well, so we want to get tested,” said another man.
Cameras also showed long lines at Miami Dade College’s North Campus in Northwest Miami-Dade, as hundreds sat in their vehicles waiting their turn.
People were also seen standing in line at a pop-up testing location near 79th Street and Biscayne Boulevard in Miami.
Tropical Park will remain open 24 hours until New Year’s Day.
Those who want to test in private will have that options starting at 9:30 a.m. on Monday, when Miami-Dade County will pass out thousands of free at-home rapid test kits at 27 local libraries.
For the list of libraries distributing at-home testing kits, click here.
For a list of COVID-19 testing sites in Miami-Dade County, click here. To find vaccination sites, click here.
For a list of COVID-19 testing sites in Broward County, click here. To find vaccination sites, click here.
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