Testing scramble continues as novel coronavirus hammers Cincinnati area

The demand for COVID-19 testing remains high in the Cincinnati area as the delta and omicron variants continue to pummel the region. And some locations that have routinely provided tests are without them or in short supply.

The resounding advice from health leaders keeping track of the pandemic impact? Go to Test and Protect Cincy at the Health Collaborative website and use its list of no-cost PCR testing sites to schedule an appointment. Just don't expect to get one right away. "It's very difficult to make a same-day appointment," Mattingly said.

And if you opt to get tested at a no-appointment-necessary, drive-thru site such as Gravity Diagnostics' sites in Covington, Fort Mitchell and Florence, check ahead to make sure it's open and if so, be prepared to sit tight in your car. The wait times have averaged at 2½-3 hours "recently with the surge in holiday gatherings, travel plans, and the omicron variant, which has been highly transmissible," the company said in a statement. The company recommends pre-registering online before heading to a testing site.

Read more here.