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Hundreds waited for COVID-19 rapid antigen testing outside of Port Huron Schools Memorial Stadium Sunday — a long line of cars extending south and curling around 24th and Farley streets.
Set up through state and local health officials and the school district, the pop-up clinic was free and open to community members at large but designed to catch families coming off of spring break.
Although they’ve stayed home recently, resident Marcella Cameron, her husband Jamie and daughter Nadine, 12 a student at Central Middle School, decided to get tested after a recent exposure. When they arrived 20 minutes before the noon start time, they found they weren’t the only ones hoping to get in and out quickly.
“I said, ‘Let’s go early. I don’t want to be in a long line and have to worry about too many cars,” Cameron said. “And we got here and went, ‘well, OK.’ That’s a good thing. It’s wonderful people are taking notice … and get tested.”
Others farther up the line said they’d arrived more than a half hour early. And even once the clinic was underway, cars continued to line up along Farley.
Julie Steinhoff was also waiting with her son Chase, 11, who she said was “ticked off enough of the boxes” in showing signs of illness. She said she hoped it to go quickly despite the line, adding it’s why they chose the community pop-up versus other testing options.
“We didn’t go anywhere. He’s just sick. So, we’re taking advantage of not waiting three hours at MedExpress,” she said.
However, Jon Gardner, regional director of COVID operations for LTS, said it was “going to be rough” early on in the six-hour pop-up window while testing workers sorted through information for recipients.
LTS is working with HONU Management Group through the state and interested school districts. Workers, most of whom are from El Paso, Texas, were in the area to assist, but Gardner said because Sunday was a holiday and the pop-up was more “last minute,” it was a challenge to get through the roughly 400 signees who preregistered for the testing service within the previous 24 hours.
Several days earlier, he said about 60 had preregistered.
District and health officials have said there was no real ceiling on how many people could be accommodated Sunday. Gardner said they could do about 50 tests an hour.
Marcella Cameron said she had COVID last November and was fully vaccinated, while Jamie had received one of his doses. She thought it was important and was “still going to check” with the opportunity of Sunday’s pop-up.
Twelve-year-old Nadine said she didn’t mind, adding, “I got tested before and it was alright. I heard different tests feel different.”
Kimberly Mitchell waited with her son Malachi, 16.
A Port Huron Northern High School student, he said he was getting tested for a soccer program outside the district. But he admitted he did know several other youths who’d been affected by COVID.
His mother, fully vaccinated was also getting tested, too.
“I’m just excited that this is happening, and I’m impressed with the line,” Kimberly Mitchell said. “I’m really happy to see that people are getting tested. It’s good to know to help keep the numbers down. If people are positive, then they know to stay in. Keep your children home. That’s that the big thing. Keep your kids safe.”
Nearly 13,000 COVID cases had been reported in St. Clair County, with 275 deaths and 3,936 active cases as of Sunday.
Other pop-up testing sites will be set up from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday at St. Clair High School and noon to 6 p.m. next Sunday at Yale High School. Preregistration can be done at http://honumg.info/StClairHS and http://honumg.info/YaleHS, respectively.
Contact Jackie Smith at jssmith@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @Jackie20Smith.
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