OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — The omicron variant continues to push its way through the community, and daily cases are at all-time highs.The demand for testing is as well, but test providers have had no problems with supply. The problem for some testing sites has been the weather.
Nomi Health has been one of the most popular testing options. It has three drive-up testing locations in Omaha, Metropolitan Community College’s Fort Omaha and South Omaha Campuses, and outside of Oakview Mall.
However, they were not able to open for patients on Thursday and closed early on Wednesday because of the frigid temperatures.
The testing sites are expected to return Friday, and Nomi Health is planning to connect containers to power at these locations. They had been connected to generators which were unable to withstand the cold temps to protect the tests and keep staff warm.
Nomi Health has one indoor location in the area. That location is in Council Bluffs at Madison Avenue and Bennett Avenue, inside the old Mall of the Bluffs.
It is now looking to find more indoor locations to move into in Omaha.
"That's always what we're searching for, especially now with those temperatures. We are looking at potential locations around 156th and Maple, really to help out that western part of the city,” Mario Cuartas with Nomi health said. “Searches are underway so if anybody has any contacts for that feel free to send them our way."
Nomi Health says they know lines have been incredibly long, especially at the Oakview Mall location, where they're seeing around 800 people a day.
There's something else you can do to help speed up the line.
"On our website you can preregister. We currently shutdown the ability to make appointments because people who had appointments were getting stuck. When someone is not preregistered it really slows down the process,” Cuartas said. “If they can go to our website, preregister, bring in their QR code, and they'll be set to go. All they have to do is show that, get swabbed, and get going."
Nomi Health says they also plan to add another line at the Oakview location to speed things up even more. We could see that as early as next week
To learn more about Nomi Health's testing and to register for a test, click here.
To explore all of the testing options in Douglas County, click here.