Wait times at the only coronavirus drive-thru testing center in Colorado were reaching up to three hours late Thursday morning, causing state health officials to start turning people away roughly around 1 p.m. 

The Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment said in a news release that people who were cut off Thursday will be given a note ensuring they “have priority” on Friday. About two hours later, the agency said it was not able to provide notes for people to get priority testing “due to safety concerns over the volume of traffic near the drive-in community testing site.” 

Health officials are urging anyone who is symptomatic or who believes they may have been exposed to the virus to first contact their physician for guidance, obtain a doctor’s order required for testing, and gather information about private providers that offer testing. 

On Wednesday, the drive-up lab tested about 160 people. People waited on average about 84 minutes.

The mobile testing site in Denver is Colorado’s first of presumably several, as Gov. Jared Polis has called for the state to establish more of them.

The drive-up site is located at 8100 E. Lowry Blvd. and will be open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday and Monday. Health officials said they may also keep it open through the weekend “depending on supplies and demand.”

In Denver County, there are nine presumptive positive cases. They are as follows:

• One case is a man in his 40s. The investigation is ongoing. 
• One case is a woman in her 70s, exposed during international travel.
• One case is a woman in her 30s, no known contact with an infected person, but has recent US travel history.
• One case is a female in her teens, exposure is under investigation.
• One case is a woman in her 40s. The investigation is ongoing.
• One case is a male in his 40s, exposed during international travel.
• One case is a female in her 30s. The investigation is ongoing.
• One case is a male in his 50s. Exposed during recent travel.
• One case is a male in his 40s. The investigation is ongoing.

There is also one indeterminate case of a woman in her 70s, which is currently under investigation.

As of noon on Thursday, Colorado health officials have identified 11 more presumptive positive coronavirus cases, bringing the total to 44. The state has tested approximately 350 people.

The state health department said it will have an update on statewide testing later Thursday afternoon.