NORTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) - South Florida testing sites remain busy on New Year’s Eve.
People are waiting in long lines as the demand for COVID-19 testing continues on Friday.
“I just want to make sure that I’m OK,” said a woman waiting in line at Miami Dade College North Campus.
“I just felt symptoms so I figured I should come and see what was going on,” said Leatrice Gachette, waiting in line.
“I’m just assuming everyone is getting tested ’cause of the new year but yeah, over two hours waiting,” said Stephanie Rodrigues, waiting in line.
Residents are scrambling to get tested before county-run sites close for the New Year’s holiday.
COVID testing sites in Miami-Dade are open on this New Years Eve, where thousands of people have continued to wait in long lines, and continue to get tested as the omicron variant continues to run rampant, across South Florida.
“This variant seems to be spreading very quickly. We just all want a test everybody’s here the next car as well and just want to make sure we’re all negative,” said Esmeralda Campins, waiting in line.
In Broward County, all health department-run testing sites are closed on Friday and Saturday.
In Miami-Dade, the South-Dade Government Center and Tropical Park will close at 7 p.m. and Zoo Miami will close at 5 p.m.
Testing sites open New Year’s Day, Saturday, are Tropical Park, South-Dade Government Center and Miami-Dade College North between 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Port Miami Terminal J will also test from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.
To meet the surge in demand for testing, Miami-Dade County officials distributed at-home rapid test kits at eight libraries, Friday morning.
Last week, the county distributed more than 152,000 at-home rapid test kits.
Broward County, also handing out kits, with people getting up early to get their hands on them.
“We are cranking them out fast and furious,” said Broward County’s Libraires Director Allison Grubbs.
As cases of COVID-19 continue to climb, people aren’t taking any chances ringing in the new year.
“We had to cancel Christmas, cancel Christmas Eve. We’ve been locked up in the house,” said Campins.
“I’m staying home. I don’t feel well, so I’m not going to take the risk,” said Gachette.
For a list of COVID-19 testing sites in Miami-Dade County, click here. To find vaccination sites, click here. To find at-home test kits, click here.
For a list of COVID-19 testing sites in Broward County, click here. To find vaccination sites, click here. To find at-home test kits, click here.
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