'Impossible to Find': Sacramento Public Library Runs Out Of Thousands Of At-Home COVID Tests In 2 Hours

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) -- With COVID-19 cases rising, at-home tests are in high demand. Sacramento Public Library teamed up with Sacramento County Public Health to hand out 45,000 free at-home kits Wednesday, but they didn't last long.

The 28 library locations started handing out the test kits -- each containing two tests — at 10 a.m. Wednesday. By noon, Sacramento Public Library announced every location had run out of kits.

"We had no idea that it was going to go this fast," said Cathy Crosthwaite, Deputy Director of Sacramento Public Library.

CBS13 spoke with disappointed people who showed up to the Central Library in Downtown Sacramento minutes after it ran out of its stock of 900 kits.

"This is the second library we've tried," said James Sofranko, who was hoping to take a test before a work trip tomorrow.

"They're just impossible to find," his wife Amanda Sofranko told CBS13. "You just kind of grab them if you can get them."

Cathy Crosthwaite says at this point, there is no plan for the library to distribute more free tests. She told CBS13 that if Sacramento County Public Health does have more available, "We would love to have them so we can make it happen for the communities we serve."

The library says if people still need to be tested for COVID-19, there are free community test sites. Those details can be found here.