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MIAMI GARDENS, FLA. (WSVN) - Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has announced new COVID-19 testing measures for the state.
The governor spoke at a media conference held at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens on Wednesday morning.
DeSantis said mobile testing labs will be used to provide rapid COVID-19 testing to South Floridians.
The first mobile lab in the state will be stationed at the Hard Rock Stadium.
Desantis said, “Two days ago was 2.6%, that’s as low as we’ve had since the beginning of this. Yesterday was 3.8% again, very, very low. There’s parts of this country of everyone tested comes back positive.”
As many as 20,000 COVID-19 tests have been taken at Hard Rock Stadium.
Desantis said, “We’re going to add to this site here.”
Patients who are 18 and older will be able to find out if they have tested positive or negative for the virus within 45 minutes.
“These are going to be mobile labs with rapid testing capabilities,” DeSantis said. “You’ll be able to take a sample, as you saw done, bring it to the lab, and then, within 45 minutes — by just putting a cartridge in the machine — you’re going to get the diagnostic result. We’re going to be processing 500 tests a day.”
The governor also announced antibody tests are now available at the Hard Rock Stadium site and will soon be available at other testing sites.
DeSantis said, “We now have the ability to test for antibodies. Basically, people that have had the disease, their body will generate antibodies to fight it, and we can then test to see whether you have the antibodies,” he said. “This is very important, particularly for our first responders and our healthcare workers, to know who has the antibodies.”
The governor said the FDA approved the tests that Florida acquired.
The blood tests will be able to determine if a patient has developed the antibodies within a 15-minute time frame.
DeSantis said, “What you’re looking for is if that line appears, then you’ll know they’ve got the antibody.”
The initial phase of the new testing is for first responders.
Tests can be done outside of a vehicle and then immediately processed inside.
Jared Moskowitz, Director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management, said, “It’s completely mobile. We’re bringing the lab to the situation.”
DeSantis said, “This is going to be around the clock.”
Battelle, a government-contracted company, is setting up disinfecting centers for N-95 masks.
DeSantis said, “This is important to have, because we don’t know what’s going to happen with the supply chain.”
Battelle can disinfect up to 80,000 masks a day, with each being able to go through the process up to 20 times.
DeSantis said, “As people know, this PPE was a major crunch, particularly in March.”
PPE was very hard to come by at first, but now the frontline workers are getting much-needed help on the equipment front.
DeSantis said, “There’s more PPE going out now, but there’s still going to be a demand for this.”
DeSantis said nearly half a million COVID-19 tests have been done in the state, and the amount of positive cases is under 4%.
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