WESTON, FLA. (WSVN) - - Local hospitals and National Guardsmen are working on setting up drive-thru locations to help fill a need in South Florida: testing for COVID-19.
7News cameras captured a tent outside the Cleveland Clinic in Weston, Wednesday night. The well-known hospital has worked to set up one of the drive-thru testing areas, located about a block from the main campus.
The medical staff on site said it took a little under a week for them to get the medical supplies, team members, equipment and logistics to put the testing tents together.
“It’s like almost being on hurricane preparedness,” said Cleveland Clinic Hospital president Dr. Rodolfo Blandon.
Staff members could be seen gearing up at the tent early Thursday morning, preparing for the first day of operations.
They opened at 8 a.m. and will remain on site until 5 p.m. Those who wish to get tested need to call and make an appointment ahead of time.
A press conference was held at the testing site where Infectious Disease Specialist Dr. Carla McWilliams said she wants as many patients as possible to be tested.
“We’ve never encountered a situation like this before,” she said. “This is a very good way to help individuals not only get care but also to try to keep them away from the hospitals if it’s not entirely necessary.”
This is the first hospital in Broward County to offer coronavirus testing.
“We are open to the entire community of South Florida,” said Blandon.
Anyone can call in and describe their symptoms over the phone to see if they meet the screening criteria — fever with cough or shortness of breath.
“If folks don’t have those symptoms, they’re probably not a candidate for testing,” said McWilliams. “We do not test patients without symptoms at this time.”
Organizers said they do not have exact numbers but have plenty of test kits for the immediate future and are prepared for the fight against the virus.
“Right now, we’re well equipped,” said Blandon. “We have ventilators, we have masks, we have personal protective equipment for our caregivers and our patients, and we are ready to serve the community.”
Those that get tested at the Weston site can expect results in four to five days.
There are a number of other testing sites in progress.
At a news conference Wednesday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said they are attempting to have the facilities ready to test patients as soon as possible.
“People will go on, and if they’re symptomatic and a physician recommends it, then they get it,” he said. “That’s certainly what I’d like to see.”
Broward Health said they also have plans for testing. A drive-thru site in Pompano Beach will be ready for testing Thursday afternoon.
This latest development comes as cases of COVID-19 continued to soar in the Sunshine State.
The latest numbers show 62 new cases, as of 11 a.m., Thursday. The cases bring the total in Miami-Dade to 86 and 96 in Broward County.
Dr. Jana Cua said she thinks she has the virus, so she got tested at a site where she works, at Community Health of South Florida in South Miami-Dade.
“I think I have a fever and chills,” she said.
Cua was one of many patients who came to the newly opened site on Wednesday.
“The only way we can all help to nip this virus in the bud is to test as many patients as possible,” said Dr. Tony Amofah, Chief Medical Officer at Community Health.
Patients were first assessed for symptoms or other risk factors. About four of every 10 were tested with a swab in the nose.
This is progress, Amofah said, even if he acknowledges it’s not perfect.
“We realize that we cannot test everyone,” he said.
The Community Health is currently only being used for members of the medical community. Patients are urged to call ahead before they go in for testing.
Along with tests and other materials, the state still needs more swabs for testing.
“A huge supply of swabs will let us ramp up the number of people that can be tested,” said DeSantis.
The governor announced earlier this week that Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens will also be a testing site.
7News cameras captured tents set up outside the venue on Wednesday.
Another testing area is C.B. Smith Park in Pembroke Pines, where the National Guard is working with Memorial Healthcare System.
DeSantis described how that location is set up.
“It’s gonna have five lanes. One will be designated specifically for first responders. We’ll have 100 National Guardsmen there supporting the effort,” he said. “Memorial is going to take the information, identify the symptoms, and then say, ‘OK, you show up this time,’ so we’re going to try and make it orderly. We’re going to try to make sure that people can kind of get in and out. We don’t want people waiting in line for four hours.”
He described some of the patients they will focus on.
“We’re looking at first responders,” he said, “we’re looking at healthcare workers, we’re looking at seniors [who are] 65 and over with symptoms and people with underlying conditions that have symptoms.”
He said they hope to be able to administer up to 200 tests in a day.
“Memorial has their own lab,” he explained, “so if we can move it through there, we may be able to get the results quicker. As we scale up, some of that is going to have to be done at private labs. You may not be able to get it within 24 hours, but at least people will be able to go in and get tested.”
Those in charge of setting up the C.B. Smith location said they are aiming for it to be ready by the end of the week.
Those that wish to be tested will have to go through Memorial’s Healthcare System and participate in a screening over the phone to learn whether or not they meet the necessary criteria.
Meanwhile, people who were tested in South Miami-Dade are waiting for their results.
Cua said she thinks the worst of her symptoms are behind her, but she’ll stay in isolation for now, with results due in three to four days.
“I mean, I feel like the worst is over for me,” she said.
In total, seven people in Florida have died due to the virus.
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