LEE COUNTY, Fla. — We have a new update on the CenturyLink Stadium testing site.
The company that runs the testing there, Nomi Health, now says it will be appointment only moving forward, even if the website says otherwise.
If you go on Nomi Health’s website after hours, it looks like the appointments are all booked up, but we saw on Tuesday that appointments became available once the facility opened.
So keep an eye on the company’s website and you should be able to find an open slot, and according to people we spoke with, the appointment system is shortening the wait.
Despite continued lines at the CenturyLink site, people tell us the wait times dropped significantly from what we saw on Monday.
"I estimate it’s about an hour and a half to two hour wait, most likely tomorrow and, you know what I’m saying, but it was worth it," said Dylan Hyteman.
Nomi Health tells us it is still “Refining processes and procedures to ensure we can serve as many people as possible.”
But as thousands chose to wait in line to get their test, just as many or more were searching Tuesday for an at-home COVID test.
"Every other patient that I see walking in the door is looking for tests. Every other phone call that I receive is about tests," said Sam Patel, the owner of Carrell Pharmacy in Fort Myers.
He said he got lucky to finally get a shipment of the tests into his store.
"It was hard. I had to scramble throughout many suppliers that I use. Luckily I found one that I ordered last week, and we got the tests yesterday. I sold out the whole box yesterday, and I’m almost half of the new box that I received today," said Patel.
Patel said he’s limiting people to buying up to five of the tests at a time. He said his current supply isn’t likely to last long because the demand hasn’t changed.
"This is a tough situation and I think it’s going to last a few weeks like that," said Patel.
The tests sell for $17.84 a piece plus tax, and they contain one rapid antigen test. When we left Tuesday, Patel told us he had about 200 left.
He said he had another order in, but doesn’t know when he will get it.
