CLEVELAND — State officials on Wednesday announced a new registration process for the mass COVID-19 testing site in Cleveland’s University Circle one day after being overwhelmed by demand. 

The mass testing site, which is being operated by officials from the National Guard, Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals, will require prior registration. 

The state said that individuals will now need to register for a scheduled appointment time during a 15-minute window. Once an appointment time is confirmed, individuals will be prompted to register with MAKO labs. The Ohio Department of Health said everyone must have a confirmed appointment time and a QR code from MAKO to be tested, even if previously registered.

Officials said due to high demand, the state is requesting individuals to not arrive more than 15 minutes early for a scheduled test. Officials are also saying they are unable to accept those without a reservation. 

On its first day being open on Tuesday, officials announced at noon that the testing center would not accept anyone not already in line. The site was expected to remain open through 5 p.m. 

The testing site located in the garage of the W. O. Walker Building in University Circle is accepting appointments for 9 a.m. through 5 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Sunday.

Testing has become scarce as COVID-19 cases rise in northeast Ohio and people travel for the holidays. Cuyahoga County Public Library said on Wednesday that all of its branches do not have tests and will not get another shipment this week. 

While officials have been referring people to testing sites at local pharmacies, as of Wednesday evening, the overwhelming majority of CVS and Walgreens locations in northeast Ohio do not have any available appointments this week 

Despite the crunch for available tests, officials from area hospitals are reminding the public not to go to the emergency department to get tested for the virus.