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People are standing outside of 604 St Mary's Road testing location, spilling onto the sidewalk.
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Some people waiting for a COVID-19 test in Winnipeg on Monday are spending hours in line.

COVID-19 testing sites are backed up at least two separate locations Monday.

At least one dozen people are standing outside a St. Vital testing site's front doors, spilling onto the sidewalk an hour before they close for the day. 

An East Elmwood testing site is seeing cars wrap around the parking lot in long lines. Some people sitting in their cars at the drive-up testing location on Nairn Avenue say they have been waiting for at least two hours to be seen.

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After 90 minutes on Monday afternoon, a driver waiting for a COVID-19 test at 1066 Nairn Avenue still had at least 30 vehicles in front of them.

A spokesperson from the province says some sites in Manitoba do have capacity. They say people can visit another or book an appointment if a site has a lineup. 

"The average turn-around time for someone from the time they get their test to the time they get their result is well-within 48 hours, with many receiving their results the next day," the spokesperson says in an email.

The province does not track wait times for specific testing sites.

On Sunday, 2,463 laboratory tests were completed, a huge spike compared to last Sunday's 1,739 laboratory tests. Despite the leap in tests, the overall number of new cases remains relatively steady and the five-day test positivity rate has lowered by 0.9 per cent in the past week.

Testing sites are expected to get even busier in a month, as by October 31 many Manitobans employed by the province will need to get regular COVID-19 testing if they are not fully vaccinated. Public-facing City of Winnipeg employees will need to provide proof of being fully vaccinated by October 28 to avoid regular testing. 

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