The demand for COVID-19 testing is exploding as Christmas gets closer. Lines can be seen outside clinics all over Long Island the past few days and CityMD says it is closing some locations due to the high demand.

In a statement on their website, CityMD says “So many of you are aware, most CityMD locations are operating at full capacity, doing our best to meet the urgent care needs of the people of New York and New Jersey. Continuing to provide these services to the community is a top priority; however, our physicians and teammates are also a priority. To preserve our ability to staff our sites, we are temporarily closing certain locations effective Dec. 22. It is our hope that closing sites now will best allow us to avoid future closures as this surge continues.”

The locations on Long Island that are closed include the CityMD in Bay Shore on North Sunrise Highway and the CityMD in Merrick. There are 19 locations total closing in the New York, New Jersey area.

“We’re two years into this and people should be able to get in like that,” says Locust Valley resident Peter Alpy. “I went to pharmacies to get in-home tests and nothing is available. I mean it’s terrible.”

AFC Urgent Care is only doing testing by online appointments.

On Monday and Tuesday, its three locations did 750 tests a day.

Some school districts are also doing community testing, including more than 400 a day in Syosset.

In the Plainview-Old Bethpage school district, the superintendent tells News 12 that appointments Wednesday were booked within seconds of a link being posted.

Northwell Health announced Wednesday that it would be expanding testing capacity starting next week.

Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone also announced the county will be adding more testing sites.

It is not clear when the closed locations will reopen.