MIAMI GARDENS, FLA. (WSVN) - The Florida Division of Emergency Management has announced the closure of 14 state-supported COVID-19 testing sites due to poor weather expected from a low pressure system off the east coast of Florida.
According to the National Hurricane Center, the disturbance is likely going to become a tropical or subtropical storm as it moves off the state’s coast in a northeastward direction.
7News cameras captured members of the National Guard taking down tents and dismantling the Hard Rock Stadium site ahead of the arriving bad weather.
“The National Guard began taking down anything that could be blown away,” said Mike Jachles, the spokesperson for Hard Rock Stadium’s COVID-19 testing site.
When the coronavirus pandemic set in on South Florida in March, testing sites were slammed with people. Cars lined up and people were turned away because there weren’t enough testing kits.
On Thursday, there were almost no lines and empty parking lots at what once were the busiest locations.
“Well, there’s certainly an ebb and a flow with the traffic at the testing sites,” Jachles said.
7SkyForce HD flew over the Marlins Park site where there were several cars but no line. There was also no line at Amelia Earhart Park.
The line was a little bit longer at the FIU site and C.B. Smith Park but not as packed as they were in April.
Miami Beach had no cars or lines, and neither did the Hard Rock Stadium testing site.
The state said shorter are a good thing partly because there are now many places to get tested for COVID-19.
“We’re glad that those lines have been reduced because our goal is to get people in and out of testing in the shortest turnaround time possible,” Jachles said.
At one point, the Hard Rock Stadium testing site was reaching capacity and testing 750 people per day. They now test an average of 480 people per day.
Testing is free at state drive-thrus and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said employers, especially in the healthcare field, can send workers to be tested before returning to work.
“Send them there every two weeks, run them through, and it should be just a matter of course,” DeSantis said. “We have the tests available to do it. We will provide the tests if we need to.”
Around 20,000 people per day are tested in Florida, and despite less people coming to the state sites, there are no plans to shut them down.
“We’re here for the long haul. Every indication that we have from the Division of Emergency Management is the governor’s committed to testing, and we’re not going anywhere anytime soon,” Jachles said.
The storm system, meanwhile, is expected to bring tropical-storm-force wind gusts and heavy rain across parts of South Florida over the weekend.
Out of an abundance of caution, the state ordered 10 drive-thru sites and four walk-up sites to close beginning Friday.
Drive-thru testing sites closing:
- Brevard Eastern Florida State College – Palm Bay Campus (Brevard County)
- CB Smith Park (Broward County)
- Broward War Memorial (Broward County)
- Amelia Earhart Park (Miami-Dade County)
- Hard Rock Stadium (Miami-Dade County)
- Marlins Stadium (Miami-Dade County)
- Miami Beach Convention Center (Miami-Dade County)
- FITTEAM Ballpark of the Palm Beaches (Palm Beach County)
- South County Civic Center in Delray Beach (Palm Beach County)
- Volusia University High School (Volusia University High School)
Walk-up testing sites closing:
- Mitchell Moore Park (Broward County)
- Urban League (Broward County)
- Holy Family Catholic Church (Miami-Dade County)
- Lakeside Hospital (Palm Beach County)
The testing sites are expected to reopen on Monday.
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