Government-run testing sites in New York had waits, but they were often somewhat shorter.
At a testing site under a large white tent in front of a public housing complex in Harlem, the line at midday did not extend far.
I specifically avoided going to a CityMD because the lines dont move there, said Josh Fiene, 31, who after 20 minutes was at the front of an eight-person line.
He did not have symptoms, but decided to get tested because his roommates had been hanging out with someone who was recently exposed to the virus.
But for many, the trouble was simply getting inside a clinic.
At 10 a.m., Avi Weinstein, 31, was waiting in line under a light rain on West 88th Street on Manhattans Upper West Side, inching his way toward a CityMD urgent care center where he hoped to get tested. Ive been here for an hour and a half, Mr. Weinstein said.
He said he had come down with a fever the previous night and was worried that he might have been infected while celebrating the election results last week with friends.
I was expecting a long line, he said, but not this long.
The line would grow longer over the morning, with some waiting nearly three hours before they reached the clinics door.
We want to see our grandchildren at Thanksgiving, and we hope if everyone tests negative that can happen, said Erica Eisinger, 76, who was waiting with her husband, Peter.read more
8 Months After Virus Hit, an Ominous Sign: Long Lines for Testing Again
