DELAND, Fla. — Family Health Source started handing out free at-home COVID tests at the Volusia County Fairgrounds on Thursday, and by about 10:30 a.m., the day's supply of 585 kits was gone.

Cars lined up hours ahead of the 9 a.m. opening at the Volusia County Fairgrounds as drivers did their best to ensure they could snag get their free at-home tests.

David Santiago, chief development officer for Family Health Source, said he’s not surprised to see such high demand.

“We’ve done some pop-up giveaways like this, and we’ve had instances where we’ve given away over 3,000," Santiago said. "So we’re going to continue doing this. We have a stockpile of about 12,000. As long as our supplies continue to come in, we’re going to be helping out.”

With the spike in omicron cases across Central Florida over the past month, demands for testing have spiked, and many people have turned to public testing sites for answers when it comes to COVID-19.

Family Health Source has been working with Volusia County officials to offer COVID-19 testing since the pandemic began. Family Health Source officials said they reopened the Volusia County Fairgrounds for testing when demand spiked with the omicron variant’s spread. 

But now, Family Health Source says, people have more of an interest in being able to test at home, on their own time so it has changed plans.  Each of the boxes given out each day has two tests inside. The tests are FDA-approved, with no requirement to self-report the results.

Family Health Source has ordered more tests. Santiago said he is hopeful they’ll be able to keep doing the giveaways so long as there’s a need in the community and the supply to make it happen.

“It’s very self-instructive as far as how to do it and really not complex. So we feel really confident, we haven’t had any pushback from the thousands we’ve given away from the people that have utilized the test. So we have a high degree of confidence and we’re following the guidance from the feds,” Santiago said. 

If you still want or need to be tested in person, Santiago said clinics remain open in DeLand, Deltona, Pierson and Daytona Beach that can help.

Another change coming to the Volusia County Fairgrounds, COVID-19 vaccinations will no longer be provided on-site. Family Health Source and Volusia County say that’s due to drop in demand.

COVID test kit distribution will resume on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m., or until supplies run out. They'll give out 500 boxes a day on a first come, first-served basis on those days