Florida officials released information on the drive-thru coronavirus testing offered at Hard Rock Stadium Sunday afternoon, offering a bit of insight on how testing has been conducted over the last week.
Mike Jachles, chair of the Florida Association of Public Information Officers, said, on Sunday alone, 339 tests had been administered – with 250 tests being administered by the federal government.
“Once [federal] tests are exhausted, we switch to state operated test,” Jachles said. “So, that’s a different system, different notification.”
The only difference between the state and federal test is the paper work and notification of results, according to Jachles. All tests head to the same laboratories for results.
Jachles also added that 122 people were rejected from testing on Sunday because they did not meet the criteria of the hybrid site.
He said, while the testing site is free and requires no appointment, those that choose to wait in line must be health care workers, first responders or a persons 65 or older that are showing symptoms of the virus.
On Friday, a spokesperson from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services confirmed there were no plans to set up any additional drive-thru testing sites for the novel coronavirus in Florida.
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The announcement was made while a nationwide shortage of medical supplies forced leaders up and down the ladder to make tough decisions.
HHS says it will continue supplying swabs, tubes and personal protective equipment to test first responders, but they recommend the state start establishing its own testing site, and request supplies through "the established system."
