Lines lasting hours at drive-thru COVID testing sites in El Paso County

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- As COVID-19 positivity rates continue to climb in Colorado, the demand for COVID tests continues to rise. In El Paso County, health officials say this demand can be seen at the four community testing sites - lines reminiscent of late 2020.

On Thursday, the free drive-thru community testing site at Chapel Hills Mall in Colorado Springs stretched beyond the mall's parking lot. El Paso County Public health says they recently reconfigured the design of the community site in order to make the process more efficient.

However, multiple people that waited through the line on Thursday said they waited hours to get tested for COVID. Andrew Elmore drove up to the back of the line a little past 9 a.m. 

“Just listening to all the news and stuff and jeez, (we are) this far along in the process and here I am waiting two hours just to get a test,” said Elmore.

There are four community test sites across El Paso County - Citadel Mall, Chapel Hills Mall, El Paso County Public Health South, and the Falcon testing site at the intersection of Old Meridian Rd. and Chicago Ave.

El Paso County Public Health says the wait times at the sites currently last one to two hours.

"At this point and time they have opened every line we have available," said Lisa Powell with El Paso County Public Health. "We really can’t increase the volume any more than what we are doing currently.”

Powell says the infrastructure to test everyone is in place. She just asks folks to remain patient.

According to El Paso County Public Health's data, the number of tests of dramatically risen at the community drive-thru sites in the past 12 days. On Dec. 17 the four sites conducted 779 tests, but by Dec. 29 the number of tests more than tripled to 2,230.

Powell says the demand for testing has increased for two reasons: the rise of the Omicron variant and the holiday season.

“We are collecting upwards of a thousand tests per day at (the Citadel Mall) currently so we are vastly increasing our volume of people that are coming thru the sites,” said Powell.

All four community sites in El Paso County open seven days a week, however, on Saturday the sites will be temporarily closed for New Year.

Directions and regular operating hours for the four sites are: 

• Citadel Mall, 750 Citadel Dr. E, Colorado Springs, CO (south of JCPenney). Seven days a week, 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. 
• Chapel Hills Mall, 1710 Briargate Blvd., Colorado Springs, CO (southeast parking lot). Seven days a week, 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. 
• El Paso County Public Health South, 6436 U.S. Highway 85-87, Fountain, CO (enter from Fontaine Blvd.). Seven days a week, 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. 
• Falcon testing site at the intersection of Old Meridian Rd. and Chicago Ave. Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.