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Long lines at Barnett Park for COVID testing, vaccine ahead of Christmas

County-run site closed early last 3 days after reaching capacity

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Long lines were spotted at Orange County’s Barnett Park on Sunday after the COVID-19 testing and vaccination site already closed early for the last several days due to it reaching capacity.

Ali Hernandez said he went to the site on Saturday trying to get his booster shot, but the line was too long.

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“It was really busy. We had to turn around,” Hernandez said. “The line was all the way close to (State Road) 50 and it was busy, real busy.”

Hernandez woke up early on Sunday to make sure he could get his third shot. He said it gives him peace of mind as he prepared to celebrate the holidays with family.

“You want to get together, you want to have a normal life? This is the new normal. You have to get the vaccine if you want to go back to what we used to be before,” he said.

COVID-19 testing site at Barnett Park in Orlando on Sunday Dec. 19, 2021 (Copyright 2021 by WKMG ClickOrlando - All rights reserved.)

Barnett Park closed early the last several days after reaching capacity.

According to the state’s latest report released on Friday, almost 30,000 new COVID-19 cases were reported for all of last week, more than doubling the previous week’s total.

Jeri Tedrow got her booster shot at Barnett Park on Sunday. She explained why she thinks there are so many people at the county-run site.

“The omicron is very virulent it seems, so traveling, the holiday, virulent strains fear, same thing over and over since 2019 so here we are back in line,” Tedrow said.

Last week Orange County announced it extended the free drive-thru vaccination and testing sites at Barnett Park through January 31.

“It’s great that people are taking it seriously and they have to,” Hernandez said.

Barnett Park is open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The site will be closed on December 24, 25, 30 and 31.