A moment of discomfort -- but a wave of relief for John Buckman -- who got his rapid covid-19 test at Erie County's clinic in Greene Township Wednesday.

“There’s just not enough tests available,“ he said.

The Lake City man drove almost 40 minutes -- crisscrossing Erie County -- in search of an open appointment. 

“Every place I’ve been on, the closest place I could get was on January 3," he said. "So it’s been a real pain to try to get anything done.“

He's not alone.

Hundreds of people packed the clinic, hoping for fast results and unable to find at-home tests. 

Officials say a large turn out at testing clinics is good news. They say all thE people getting tested can help stop the spread of omicron. Still, they urge caution, and they say a surge in cases after the holiday is likely.

“I think we'll likely still have a surge, but I think testing like this is going to help decrease the size of the surge we see,” said Zach Heeter of Lecom.

Alexa Wawrzyniak is among the people trying to stop that spike.

 She's vaccinated and boosted, but after some family members tested positive, the medical student wanted to be safe before returning to school. 

“It makes me feel safe going back to the patients I’ll be seeing and my other classmates before I go back," she said.

 And officials say that's an excellent example to follow.

 Especially after holiday gatherings, a simple rapid test can help keep your family and your coworkers safe. 

“If you’ve been around people who are not from your household, I think it’s a good idea to get tested, even if you’re asymptomatic, just to make sure,” Heeter said.