Finding a COVID Test Before Christmas Becoming a Challenge
SAN FRANCISCO (KPIX 5) -- Forget looking for the toy of the year, the hottest item flying off of shelves this season are COVID-19 tests, with the omicron variant spreading and Christmas just days away.
At Japan Center in San Francisco's Japantown, members found out via email they could pre-register for rapid tests. If those tests came back positive, they'd be given a PCR test 15 minutes later.
Michele and Jones Wong have all of their kids and grandkids coming home for Christmas this weekend and just had a nephew come up positive for the virus. "You get nervous - so we just made sure everybody got tested. And we did that and we're doing it again just to make sure," said Jones.
The Wongs were among the lucky ones; they didn't have to scramble to find a test.
Margaret Lee finally scored at a Walgreens in West Portal before her family vacation to Florida. "We went to three or four places this morning and last night we went to Westlake," Lee told KPIX 5.
At the CVS on Portola Ave., tests never even hit the shelves - cases were cracked open at the register.
Melissa Lee was looking for tests after her daughter flew home from college positive, but asymptomatic. "I'm seeing now with omicron - these are like very precious to keep each other safe."
