REDMOND — A line of cars stretched out of the events center at the Deschutes County fairgrounds last week as hundreds of Central Oregon residents waited for free COVID-19 tests.

The drive-thru event was organized by the Oregon Health Authority and Deschutes County Public Health. It was the largest testing event held in the county, with 349 people receiving tests Jan 13. Previously, most tests were given individually to people at various medical clinics.

“In a system like this, you can get a whole lot of people tested,” said Steve Strang, director of COVID-19 testing and vaccines for Deschutes County. “And then they know if they are positive and know to help stop the spread.”

Cars lined up inside the Bank of Cascades Center four at a time. About a dozen volunteers with the state health authority handed people COVID-19 tests through their car windows. People gave themselves the test by swabbing their nose and handing the swab back to the volunteer.

Each person will get results within two to three days, according to the health officials.

The county will analyze how well the event worked and use the experience to guide vaccine clinics at the fairgrounds, Strang said. County officials are still determining if vaccine clinics will be offered as a drive-thru or walk-in, he said.

“We are definitely using this as a dry run to look at different options for running a mass vaccine clinic at the fairgrounds,” Strang said.

Strang said the timing of the testing event was intentional. Health officials hoped to identify if there was a spike in the virus since the holidays, he said.

“The reason we wanted it to be this week is to help the community respond if there is a spike or a surge in the number of cases,” Strang said. “For New Years, it would be perfect.”

Strang said it was the perfect event for people who haven’t been able to or haven’t felt comfortable getting a COVID-19 test elsewhere.

Curtis Wilson, a 76-year-old Sisters resident, was one of the first people to line up for a test.

Wilson wanted to have the peace of mind with a negative test. He had not yet been tested since the pandemic started, but was drawn to how convenient the process was Wednesday. The test was also free, which was another motivation, he said.

“I’ve been wanting to be tested for a long time,” Wilson said. “I’m pretty sure I don’t have it, but until you’ve been tested you can’t be positive.”

After being tested, Wilson hopes to receive the vaccine soon through a similar process. He wants to feel safe flying across the country to see his daughter, who lives on the East Coast.

“I would really like to get this vaccine, because I’d like to start traveling again,” Wilson said.

Taking precautions against the virus meant Wilson had to miss seeing his daughter at Christmas for the first time in 40 years. But it wasn’t worth the risk, he said.

“I couldn’t see riding in an airplane,” he said.

Once he’s vaccinated, Wilson won’t have to miss another Christmas.