Long Lines At StarMed for COVID-19 Testing and Vaccines: What You Need To Know

CHARLOTTE, NC– With the holidays around the corner, people are taking some time out of their busy schedules to know their COVID-19 status. But, how long is the average wait?

Today, at the StarMed on Tuckaseegee Road, cars wrapped around the entire building with some vehicles even waiting outside to get into the parking lot. One person said they waited about an hour and a half, while another driver tells WCCB that he waited over two hours for a COVID- 19 test.

StarMed’s CEO, Mike Estramonte  says the average wait time today is between 45 minutes and 3 hours. Although he understand the wait times may seem long, he says he’s doing everything he can to make things easier for those who come by today. Estramonte says, “We knew it would be busy this week but we didn’t anticipate Omicron being thrown into the mix, so between boosters, testing and our antibodies at this site we didn’t expect it to be this busy but we’re staffing up to meet the demand.”

In the past 3 months, StarMed has hired over 900 staff members to make sure that anyone who wants a COVID-19 test, vaccine or booster shot is able to get one, free of cost. Estamonte says, “We’re adding tents right now and our maintenance crew is out here, we have extra nurses, and by this time tomorrow, we anticipate that the lines will be half of what they are right now.”

With the new Omicron variant accounting for nearly 73% of all new positive cases in the United States, the CEO says it’s time that everyone take this pandemic seriously. He adds, “We need to take this seriously. These boosters are working and making sure that people are safe and even if you’re not doing it for yourself, do it for your family and your loved ones.”