STERLING HEIGHTS (WWJ) -- Hundreds of cars in line at a metro Detroit COVID-19 testing site are testing the patience of those who may have been exposed to the virus.
As 2022 kicked off with a surge of omicron COVID-19 cases across the state with record numbers of infections reported, the Macomb County health department is offering free PCR tests to help identify and isolate those infected.
The drive-thru tests are offered Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. at the former Sears site at Lakeside Mall in Sterling Heights, but this site already had 100 to 200 cars wrapped around the mall at 8 a.m. Wednesday.
One of those people waiting is Nancy Nash from Clinton Township who said it's better to wait in the car for a test than to contribute to the already packed emergency rooms at hospitals.
"The ERs are so overwhelmed, so I just felt like coming here would be the better option," said Nash. "People just get a sniffle and feel like the ER needs to save them -- they're overwhelmed, so we can wait."
Sonny -- who is not providing their last name -- is another metro-Detroiter who tested their patience in the drive-thru testing line, having to get a COVID-19 test for her job since she was exposed to the virus.
"It's crazy, I got here 25 minutes ago and there's like 75 people in front of me and they're not even open until 9 -- we're just sitting here like ants in an ant bush, it's ridiculous," said Sonny.
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Testing has increased to between 50,000 and 60,000 diagnostic tests per day on average. Across Michigan’s entire population, 63% have received at last one COVID vaccine dose.
Michigan health officials are reporting nearly 62,000 new cases of COVID-19 and 298 virus-related deaths Monday.
The number of confirmed cases in the state is now at 1,568,573, including 27,286 deaths.
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