CLEVELAND — The mass COVID-19 testing site in Cleveland’s University Circle will continue to be open next week after being overwhelmed by demand earlier this week. 

What You Need To Know

  • The COVID-19 mass testing site, which opened with overwhelming demand on Tuesday, will continue operating through at least Jan. 2

  • Reservations are required in order to get tested for the virus at the site

  • Northeast Ohio has one of the highest per capita spreads of the virus nationally

The Ohio Department of Health said Thursday that the testing site will continue to operate from Dec. 27- Jan. 2, being open 9 a.m. through 5 p.m. daily except on Jan. 1. Officials had only previously committed to keeping the site open through Dec. 26.

The mass testing site, which is being staffed by the National Guard, Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals, is requiring 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 is located in the garage of the W. O. Walker Building in University Circle.

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 Thursday, 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. 

Northeast Ohio continues to lead the state in COVID-19 cases, and several northeast Ohio counties are reporting the highest caseloads in the entire United States. According to a New York Times database, Cuyahoga County has the second-highest per capita COVID-19 caseload in the U.S. The Times’ data also indicates that Lake County is No. 8 nationally. 

Ohio Department of Health data indicates there have been 14,905 cases recorded in Cuyahoga County in the last week — more than three times more than Franklin County which has a larger population. Cuyahoga County had 170 new COVID-19 hospitalizations in the last week, according to state data.

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