Related
MIAMI (WSVN) - As local leaders continue to fight the spread of the coronavirus in South Florida, a testing site at Charles Hadley Park has started operations.
The testing site, located at 1350 NW 50th St., is open to residents 45 and older who show symptoms and by appointments only.
“This is a test site that’s being manned by our own employees,” said City of Miami Mayor Francis Suarez. “I will say that any testing site, we should be testing people of all ages, and we also, I know we’ve tested in-home some people of all ages.”
The site began testing at 9 a.m. and will continue through 5 p.m., Tuesday.
By Wednesday, officials hope testing will be expanded to anyone who is experiencing symptoms, regardless of age.
Testing is one of the few reasons that local leaders want people leaving their homes for.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has dubbed South Florida the state’s epicenter of the virus, as the area houses 60% of the confirmed cases.
“The more you can do now to stop the spread, the greater opportunities you’re going to have to ultimately defeat it,” said DeSantis.
On Monday, state and county leaders gathered at the testing site at Hard Rock Stadium to share a united message: safer at home.
“We’re going guns blazing, doing all that we can to be able to slow the spread,” said DeSantis.
DeSantis signed an executive safer at home order, which applies to Miami-Dade, Broward, Monroe and Palm Beach counties.
“The order announced today establishes a level of uniformity for all of South Florida, so that our residents can clearly understand that we can get back to normal quicker if we all join in this together,” said Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez.
“It affects us all, and we’re in this together,” said Broward County Mayor Dale Holness.
After the news conference, Gimenez recorded a message where he said, “Unfortunately, some people are not taking this seriously, and they’re not practicing social distancing. In addition, I want to stress that golf courses that I ordered to close cannot turn into parks.”
The executive order is expected to remain in place until mid-April.
“Everyday where you can make progress against this virus is a huge, huge deal,” said DeSantis.
Those who want to schedule an appointment to get tested at Hadley Park can call 305-960-5050.
Copyright 2024 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.