Hatters lined up at Community Health Services on Dunmore Road from as early as 7 a.m. Monday in the hopes of securing a COVID-19 rapid test kit. The kits eventually arrived on location at approximately 2:45pm.--NEWS PHOTO KENDALL KING
kking@medicinehatnews.com
Medicine Hat’s Community Health Service’s stock of free COVID-19 test kits was replenished Monday after running out of 400 kits on Dec. 17.
The kits provided to Alberta Health Services by Alberta Health and are in “very high demand,” AHS stated on its South zone Twitter account.
Again on Monday there was a line of people at the Community Health Services building waiting for test kits. The line stretched from the front of the building, onto the sidewalk and continued past the building.
Individuals waiting in line spoke to the News about their experiences, with many stating they were frustrated by the process, believing it to be “disorganized” with “poor-communication.”
“This is my third time back,” Grant Jesse, who arrived at 7:20 a.m. told the News. “We were told they were supposed to get here at 12 p.m., so everyone left and came back.”
Jesse told the News he came back a few minutes before noon and joined the line again, but the kits never came. He left once again and came back around 2 p.m. The News spoke with him at approximately 2:30 p.m.
Nearer to the front of the line individuals were wrapped in blankets and balaclavas. Some had been waiting since 10 a.m.
“Why have people lined up outside?” said one individual.
“There could have been a drive-thru someplace or at Cypress Centre or someplace inside,” said another.
“(It’s) terrible,” one individual said. “Eight o’clock this morning until now. I was here since early this morning. It’s just a waste of time and money … It’s just another UPC screw-up.”
At approximately 2:45 p.m. the rapid test kits arrived. Individuals who were waiting were allowed two kits per household.
The News has reached out to Albert Health for comment on the limited supply of kits, the waiting process, as well as information about future distributions, but has yet to hear back.
