(Above photos) Long lines of autos for Saturday's COVID-19 tests. Look for the white tent, that's where the tests were administered. So the cars that you see, still had a long way to go before being tested.

(MURFREESBORO) The first no-qualifications, no questions asked COVID-19 drive through testing was held from 9:00AM-noon Saturday at the Rutherford County Health Department. The turn-out was overpowering.

Health department staff and medics from the Tennessee National Guard administered the tests, while Murfreesboro police keep the lines flowing and eliminated cut-ins.

WGNS News witnessed long lines going from the Rutherford County Health Department all the way down West Burton Street to the Blue Raider Bridge. Plus, many of the cars were loaded and those being tested did not have to be residents of this county.

WGNS' Reporter Dalton Barrett noted, "The event appeared to be well under control".

As the nation reels from the economic fallout of the COVID-19 worldwide pandemic, government is preparing to re-start the economy.

Health officials and many business leaders warn that the re-opening should be spread over a period of time until we have a large number of COVID-19 test results. Some calling for 20 to 30-million tests daily to begin getting the economy going again.

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee announced that public schools will not re-open this education year. That alone will help to reduce additional spread of coronavirus in the Volunteer State. However, the "new normal" must continue with everyone practicing social distancing, washing hands regularly with soap, cover your cough and avoid crowds.

In a WGNS COVID-19 broadcast, Dr. Dan Rudd warned that we don't have a vaccination yet and so at this time we're reducing the spread of COVID-19 by keeping people apart--basically, in quarantine. Returning everything to "normal" could create dangerous results.

Rudd noted that at best, we probably won't have a tested and approved vaccination until fall, and that could be when the virus comes back.

There does seem to be some agreement that re-opening the economy will take time, large amounts of COVID-19 testing of citizens, and huge amounts of money.

The open tests in Murfreesboro and across the nation seem to be in response to that need. WGNS News will keep you informed of future "open testing".