July 30, 2020
By: Staff Report
TAMPA, Fla.– The Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) announced that all state-supported drive-thru and walk-up COVID-19 testing sites will temporarily close at 5 p.m. on Thursday, in anticipation of the Tropical Storm Isaias.
Testing sites are closing out of an abundance of caution to keep individuals operating and attending the sites safe. The release says that all sites have freestanding structures including tents and other equipment, which cannot withstand tropical-storm-force winds and could cause damage to people and property if not secured.
Tropical Storm Isaias is expected to impact Florida with heavy rains and strong winds arriving in South Florida as early as Friday. The sites will remain closed until they are safe to reopen, with all sites anticipated to be reopened at the latest by 8 a.m., Wednesday, August 5.
Free COVID-19 testing remains available through local County Health Departments. Please call in advance for testing through County Health Department, contact information for all counties is available here.
The release says that as the storm passes through regions of the state, sites will reopen on a rolling basis to ensure Floridians are able to receive reliable and accessible COVID-19 testing. Testing site re-openings will be posted on FDEM’s social media. The Facebook page is available here and the Twitter page is available here.
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