CINCINNATI, Ohio — Hundreds of Cincinnatians hoping to get tested for COVID-19 Tuesday were turned away after a major mix-up at one of the pop-up testing sites.

What You Need To Know


  • Gov. DeWine's website gave incorrect information on the location of pop-up testing site for COVID

  • Hundreds of people showed up to incorrect location and had to be turned away

  • There will be testing Wednesday and Thursday at South Avondale School located at 636 Prospect Place

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine’s website, which has since been updated, showed this week’s times and locations for pop-up testing throughout Cincinnati. The website showed that Tuesday’s testing site was going to be located at Zion Temple First Pentecostal Church on Redding Road. Here’s where the confusion came in: the testing was actually being held about a mile down the road at Zion Baptist Church on Glenwood Avenue.

Ennis Tait, the president of Avondale Clergy, was outside Zion Pentecostal Church throughout the morning helping to redirect hundreds of people who showed up at the wrong location throughout the day.

“It’s nice that a person was here to tell me. Otherwise, if I came here and there was nobody here, I would’ve been like ugh, I don’t know what to do and I may have freaked out and gone home,” said Holly Birrer, who was turned away at the testing site.

Late Tuesday afternoon, “Zion Temple” on Redding Road was removed from the COVID-19 pop-up sites on DeWine’s website. The website now shows that there will be testing Wednesday and Thursday at South Avondale School located at 636 Prospect Place.