There was a huge turnout in Revere Sunday at the city’s "Stop the Spread" testing site, which has extended its hours as cases of the coronavirus keep spiking.
City health officials are now urging anyone who visited with family for the holiday to get tested for COVID-19.
People started lining up even before testing opened at 9 a.m. Sunday morning. The wait was a couple hours at times, but Michael Fennell of Melrose said it was worth it.
“I’ve got 57-year-old parents, so I decided to come and bang it out,” he said. “Just sitting here, watching my phone, listening to music, it’s not that bad.”
Families from across the area showed up to take advantage of the extra hours at the testing site at Revere High School.
“We checked a few places and they weren’t open, or results were taking five to seven days, so we ended up coming here,” said Puja Patel, who drove from Ashland, Massachusetts.
More than 600 tests were administered over the course of three hours.
Demand was so high, people were turned away Sunday, but officials say the goal is to reach as many people as possible.
“We’re extremely thankful that we do have a chance to test and to come up and get it done,” said Marijana Kulovic, a Burlington resident. “It is very important for everybody.”
Testing is open to the public Monday through Friday from 4 p.m. until 8 p.m. each day.
