MSP Airport COVID-19 test site switches to appointment only due to crowds

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Officials with the Minnesota Department of Health say anyone looking to get a COVID-19 test on Monday at the Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport must have an appointment.

In a tweet, the state says it is switch is an effort to reduce crowding at the state-run testing sites at the airport.

Anyone looking to get tested that didn't have a scheduled appointment is asked to visit another testing site. The airport has been one of the busier sites for COVID-19 tests, particularly around the holidays as flyers looked to get tested before or after trips.

It's unclear how long the switch to appointment only will last. A rep with MDH says the issue is being discussed Monday afternoon. We're told the problem is with the capacity limits for the building.

The Department of Health also warned Monday that, with people getting tested after holiday gatherings, they were again seeing long lines on Monday.

On Sunday, FOX 9 stopped by a testing site in Brooklyn Park, which was one of just a few state-run sites open that day, and found a long line of people waiting in near-zero temps at the site. Some people in line told us it took about an hour to get through.