Fresno aiming to increase COVID-19 testing as cases surge

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- With cases rising, car after car drove up to the test site in Downtown Fresno waiting to be tested for COVID-19.

One of them was Darren Miller, who knows the devastation of the virus first hand after losing his mother, Bessie Ruth Miller.

"We lost our mom about a week ago," he said. "She went into a nursing home, contracted COVID there and never recovered."

Miller is still heartbroken, but he says he's getting tested to protect the rest of his family.

"Haven't been able to get tested until now," he said. "I don't have symptoms. My dad is older."

The African American Coalition is one of the organizations offering free COVID testing.

Esmeralda Soria, who was at the site getting tested herself, says the city has invested millions of dollars for more testing, and are concerned about the upcoming winter season.

"The numbers are surging in the past few weeks and we are concerned that we don't have the local capacity, that we're gong to overwhelm our system," she said.

She says they're working with the Fresno fairgrounds to open a new drive-thru testing site.

Soria says there will also be COVID testing at Fresno City College available this weekend.

"It's important you get tested if not for your sake, but for those you love," Miller said.