SAN MARCOS, Texas — Hundreds of San Marcos residents waited in their cars and stood in the hot sun on Sunday, June 14, to get tested for coronavirus.
The National Guard set up a public testing site at Bonham pre-K school, which was the first of five testing sites that will be provided in the area.
Here are the dates and locations:
Residents have been calling on state and local leaders to provide more testing after a recent spike of cases that have impacted front line workers.
State Rep. Erin Zwiener, District 45, said the turnout of Sunday's testing site showed the desperate need for more testing in that area.
"To me, what this really illustrates is that San Marcos needs a permanent drive-thru testing site," said Zwiener. "We have the demand. We have a large enough community. We are a hot spot. We need permanent options now."
City of San Marcos officials announced that at least 701 people were tested throughout the day.
“Our first mobile site in San Marcos tested more people in one day than any other drive-thru test site in Texas and that’s an amazing accomplishment,” said Emergency Management Coordinator Rachel Ingle. “This one-day response shows the importance of offering additional free testing opportunities for our community and we thank Superintendent Cardona and SMCISD for providing the facilities for the event.”
National Guard troops said it's best to call 512-883-2400 ahead and make an appointment before showing up.
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