You Might Want To Think Twice About Getting A COVID Test At A Random Pop-Up Site
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – With no break from the pandemic, brake shops are now home to pop-up COVID testing sites.
They're also being set up just a stone's throw from public storage and on the side of busy streets.
"Have you noticed all these pop up testing sites and are you nervous at all going to those?" CBS4's Joel Waldman asked someone getting tested.
"No, those are normally the ones I go to," the person responded.
But, you might want to think twice warns a former Miami-Dade Health Department medical director.
"When there's a surge and a way to make money, they will pop up. People are scared. They'll have customers," said Dr. Kunjana Mavunda.
What most customers don't know is many of these sites are unlicensed with non-FDA approved test kits purchased online from places like Mexico or China, some even expired.
"The site should be a medical facility, whether it is run by the county or by an urgent care center or a hospital or a reliable lab like Quest or LabCorp. Those are sites you want to go to," Mavunda said.
Officials at both the Miami-Dade and the Broward County Health Departments admit they're too overwhelmed to conduct proper oversight. And, while they declined our offer to go on camera, they did suggest using county websites to find a properly vetted testing location, not a pop-up site.
CBS4 also reached out to the Florida Department of Health who also suggest you use their website.
