COVID test sites close as omicron cases ramp up in King County

Snow and cold forces COVID test sites to close

Testing sites across Seattle, and King County began to shut down as a result of cold weather and leftover snow. As of Monday night, we know at least nine sites will remain closed on Tuesday too. That means a crunch at the handful of free testing sites left running.

SEATTLE - One of the hottest commodities in Seattle on Monday was a COVID-19 test appointment.

"There was a huge cue of cars," explained Sameer Dharur. "This is the perfect storm in a way, in which, a lot of bad factors have come together at the right time."

Those factors: a growing number of COVID-19 cases fueled by omicron, and a rare winter blast.

Dharur got an e-mail around 6 a.m. telling him the site his parents were set to test at, had been shut down. They are planning to catch a flight to India on Wednesday, but without a negative test within 72 hours of the flight, they can’t board.

That sent Dharur to one of the few locations that remained open, only to find out they were delayed opening by 90 minutes – the line was already growing.

Eventually Dharur gave up; his family will now pay roughly $200 per test at the airport on Tuesday. He fears that it is not an option for many who could be sick.

"The vaccination campaign has been very, very efficient in the City of Seattle," he said. "I’m not sure if the same can be said of testing. Having to wait several days for it essentially means you are going to be possibly infecting other people in the meantime."

In addition to a number of sites closing in Seattle, King County lost testing sites in Enumclaw, Renton and Federal Way early Monday morning. A few hours later closures were announced in Bellevue, Kent-Des Moines, Shoreline and Sammamish.

At the SODO location – one of the few locations open in Seattle – the line stretched down the block. A handful of people told FOX 13 that they waited more than two hours.

In addition to the wait, there was confusion over where to line up – two lines spawned which led to people honking horns and arguing over where the line was supposed to form.

""We waited two hours until we got to the corner just 100 feet from here," explained Guy Gershwin, who needed a test for his mother before his son could return to daycare. "We realized that some people cut the line and tried to skip the 2-hour wait. That’s the honking you hear!"

Get breaking news alerts in the FREE FOX 13 Seattle app. Download for Apple iOS or Android.

Stay connected with FOX 13 News on all platforms:
DOWNLOAD: FOX 13 News and Weather Apps
WATCH: FOX 13 News Live
SUBSCRIBE: FOX 13 on YouTube
DAILY BRIEF: Sign Up For Our Newsletter
FOLLOW: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram