JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — More than 100 people waited outside Avecina on Southside Boulevard to get a COVID-19 test Friday morning.
Many were turned away because they didn't have an appointment and they didn't know they needed to book one online.
Ciara Nichols is a bartender at a restaurant in Jacksonville Beach.
Coronavirus pandemic: Click here for updates
She said after the recent spike in cases at the beaches, her manager told her and her co-workers to get tested.
"Half the restaurant staff is right here," Nichols said.
The line wrapped around the building hours before it even opened.
Alex York told Action News Jax that most of the people camping out were unaware they had to book an appointment online.
"Yesterday we were told they did not take appointments. It was walk-in only and that the line filled up extremely fast and we needed to get here by 6:00 a.m.," York said.
At one point the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office was even called out when the crowd became visibly upset.
“Some were even almost threatening my staff, even banging on the glass door. Obviously that’s not acceptable, it can’t happen,” Dr. Saman Soleymani, CEO of Avecina Medical said.
Soleymani told me Avecina has been working on an online system for a couple of days to help with the long lines.
On Thursday they announced on social media that they would begin taking appointments online starting Friday.
"We had to make that decision at some point, whether it was today or tomorrow we would still have the same problem the following day if we did not roll it out and stick to those schedules," he said.
He said you must make an appointment online if you want to get a COVID-19 test. We're told your test results are usually available within the first 24 hours.
Nichols said until she gets a test done she won’t be able to return to work.
“A lot of us are working this weekend so we don’t have time to wait three to five days or seven to 10 days for testing,” she said.
Dr. Soleymani told me all three of their locations are completely booked for Friday.
If you’d like to book an appointment you can click HERE.
© 2020 Cox Media Group
