CLEVELAND — After two days of long lines and confusion at the joint Cleveland Clinic/University Hospitals coronavirus drive-thru testing centers, the process has been modified on Wednesday.
University Hospitals patients with doctors orders must now go to the Landerbrook location in Mayfield Heights. Patients of any age can be tested as long as they have a doctors order. UH is also able to provide a time for the patient to arrive to optimize the waiting time and through put. All orders for testing are generated electronically so there is no paperwork.
Cleveland Clinic patients with doctors orders must go to the W.O. Walker Center in Cleveland for their coronavirus tests. However, the Clinic is only testing high risk patients, which includes those who are currently hospitalized and those who are age 61 and older.
Cleveland Clinic says it is "prioritizing" its tests for those who are already hospitalized or those who are 61 and older, the latter group being able to use the W.O. Walker Center's drive-thru testing location on Euclid Avenue if they have a doctor's order. Those 60 and younger with a doctor's order are urged to not go to the testing facility until contacted by the Clinic with "further instructions," and others with a fever above 100.4 degrees and/or a cough are being told to isolate themselves and not go to the testing site, only to contact their doctor "if [their] medical condition worsens."
This was the third time Jesse Cataline and his wife came to a drive-thru location.
"Today was great but yesterday was frustrating. It was very unorganized," said Jesse Cataline.
On Monday, they were turned away from Walker Center because of capacity. On Tuesday, they were turned away Landerbook because of technical issues. On Wednesday, Jesse's wife got tested.
The drive-thru lines at the Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals joint testing centers reached their capacity by 12:15 p.m. on Tuesday, despite the fact that the centers are open until 7 p.m.
Demand on Monday was so great that the line of cars waiting to get tested wrapped around several blocks and were being directed to weave into multiple parking lots to try and lessen the bottleneck on the roads. The hospitals added a second testing center starting on Tuesday at UH Landerbrook Health Center in Mayfield Heights.
The Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals teamed up to begin offering drive-thru Coronavirus testing over the weekend. The program allows patients with a doctor's order, to drive through the parking garage at the W.O. Walker Building to get a nose or throat swap tested.
RELATED: Cleveland Clinic & University Hospitals partner together to offer drive-thru coronavirus testing
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If a person is not affiliated with Cleveland Clinic or UH, they can still use Express Care Online and get a doctor’s order from Cleveland Clinic if they meet the criteria for the test. They do not have to be a Cleveland Clinic or UH patient in order to use Express Care Online.