FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) - No car is needed at South Florida’s two newest COVID-19 testing sites, as government and health officials attempt to increase the number of people getting tested in the state.
Both walk-through sites that opened Saturday and are accepting all age groups are located in Broward County: one at Mitchell Moore Park in Pompano Beach and the other at the Urban League in Fort Lauderdale.
“This is a way to reach a broader cross-section of the community. Not everyone has access to vehicles,” said Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
At a news conference held Friday at the Fort Lauderdale location, DeSantis addressed the need for residents of the Sunshine State to have increased access to COVID-19 tests.
The governor stressed that, even though all ages are welcome, patients need to be showing symptoms associated with the virus.
“If you have COVID-19 symptoms, you could walk up to the site to receive a test, or you can call ahead to set up an appointment to be tested,” he said.
Both sites are open from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. and will be able to test up to 200 people a day.
“If a person tests positive, [Broward] County Health Department is partnering with federally qualified health centers for follow-up telehealth,” said DeSantis.
There are several other drive-thru testing sites in Florida, including one at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, but state officials are already looking at plans to expand this new walk-up model.
“I think, if the model is successful, which we think it will be, we would want to replicate this in other parts of the state, and we’re already looking in places like Miami-Dade to do this,” said DeSantis.
For more information on the walk-through sites in Broward County, click here.
Copyright 2024 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.