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MIAMI (WSVN) - A drive-thru testing site for COVID-19 has opened at Marlins Park in Miami on Wednesday, but there are age requirements in order to qualify, county leaders said.
The testing site, located at 501 Marlins Way, opened at 9 a.m.
Speaking at a news conference outside of the baseball stadium, Tuesday afternoon, Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez went over what patients need to do in order to get tested at this location.
“The new testing site is by appointment only. Without an appointment, you will be turned away. It’s only for people who are 65 years old and older and are experiencing certain symptoms,” he said. “You must drive through. You cannot walk up to this testing center.”
Gimenez said only one other person is allowed in the vehicle.
“Both the senior citizen and the other person will be tested to make sure that there has been no spread,” he said.
The mayor joined several organizations at the news conference that are involved in the fight against the pandemic, namely the Florida National Guard, the City of Miami, the Florida Department of Health, Jackson Health Systems as well as the Miami Marlins organization.
Marlins Park is the latest South Florida stadium offering coronavirus testing. Cellphone video captured a long line of cars outside Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, where people 65 or older were tested until around 3 p.m. on Tuesday.
More than 1,500 people were tested in the parking lot of Hard Rock Stadium between Sunday and Monday, and officials said 750 tests were available before they closed up shop on Tuesday.
At Marlins Park, 300 patients are currently able to get tested daily, officials said. As of noon on Wednesday, close to 150 patients were tested.
In Broward County, three drive-thru testing sites saw patients on Tuesday. At C.B. Smith Park in Pembroke Pines, Memorial Health staff has tested more than 2,900 people since they started. Meanwhile, a location near Cleveland Clinic in Weston and Broward Health North in Pompano Beach also screened for the virus.
Patients have to call ahead at all of the Broward locations, and they’re only testing first responders, seniors and travelers who have recently returned from hot zones.
Back in Miami, Commissioner Joe Carollo said more drive-thru testing sites are on their way across the city.
“We will be opening next week, and we will be announcing this towards the end of the week, a major center in the City of Miami, which will be in the north end, at Hadley Park, that will have drive-thru facilities for all of our residents that meet the criteria and guidelines of the [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention],” he said.
“We are working rapidly as we can to get more testing sites as soon as more testing kits arrive,” said Gimenez. “We’re also looking to open testing sites in South Dade and in West Kendall.”
The county mayor reiterated that he wants the public to act as if everyone has the virus.
“There are not enough kits to test the entire population of Miami-Dade County,” he said. “A lot of them don’t have to if we act the right way.”
Miami-Dade County has set up a hotline for people to call to verify whether or not they qualify for testing and to set up an appointment at the Marlins Park site. That number is 305-499-8767.
The call center opens at 9 a.m. daily and will remain open until the appointment slots for the following day are filled.
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