What Did You Get For Christmas? How About A COVID Test!
MIAMI (CBSMiami/AP) — It seems getting a COVID test is the hot holiday item this year as Florida hits a record number of cases.
Hours before a testing site opened at Tropical Park in Miami, dozens of cars lined up along a road leading to its entrance. The testing site was open from mid-morning to mid-afternoon, and two other sites in Miami-Dade County were open on Christmas Day.
The other two testing sties are the open on Christmas Day are the South Dade Government Center and Miami Dade College North, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. All patients who arrive by closing time will be tested. It's walk-up only.
Patients will be given a choice of antigen or PCR testing at check in.
DOH-Broward locations at C.B. Smith Park, Markham Park and Mills Pond Park will be open on Thursday, December 30 for testing only. All other DOH-Broward test sites are closed Saturday in observance of Christmas; and Thursday through Saturday, December 30-January 1, in observance of New Year's.
The demand for tests came a day after Florida broke its record for number of reported cases — 31,758 new COVID-19 cases on Friday. The increase is being driven by the spreading new omicron variant. The previous record was in August during the height of the delta wave in Florida with 27,584 cases.
To help alleviate demand, Miami-Dade county workers distributed 12,500 at-home COVID test kits Friday at Miami-Dade libraries before the supplies ran out.
(© Copyright 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)