'I Want To Be Safe': COVID Testing A Priority For South Florida Residents Getting Ready For Thanksgiving
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – The COVID testing line at Hard Rock Stadium eased somewhat Tuesday morning after a surge on Monday.
Around noon, the wait was about 45 minutes long.
Hard Rock offers rapid COVID testing and a more reliable test that takes days to receive.
CBS4 spoke to some of the people waiting in line at the Miami Gardens site.
"My parents are coming over for Thanksgiving, so I want to be safe," one woman said.
Another said, "It's my second time getting tested. I had COVID in August and I want to see if it's true now."
Retesting was also one of the reasons drivers waited at CB Smith Park in Pembroke Pines on Tuesday.
"I want to see my great grandson and make sure I'm OK," one woman said.
Most free government run COVID testing sites are closed on Thanksgiving. The one exception is the Miami beach Convention Center, which will have drive-up testing on the holiday from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Some private run urgent care medical clinics will be open for testing on Thanksgiving Day. Although, you should check to make sure they take your insurance, otherwise you'll pay out of pocket.
MORE FROM CBSMIAMI.COM
Florida Man Jumps Into Action To Rescue Puppy From Alligator's Jaws
ME Releases Findings In Deaths Of Two People Found In Southwest Miami Dade Rental Home
MDPD: Miami Police Officer Shoots, Kills Intruder Who Broke Into His West Miami-Dade Home
"There's going to be a percentage of the total positives who will get sick," said Dr. Thomas Macaluso.
Dr. Macaluso is chief medical officer of the Memorial Healthcare System in central Broward.
Memorial is preparing to receive the first doses of the Pfizer vaccine in December.
He said his hospital staff, and likely other South Florida health care workers, will get the lifesaving vaccine first.
"Some of the smaller outbreaks have been spread from a patient. So if we can vaccinate our workforce, it's good for all of us," he said.
And while some are celebrating the holiday, oblivious to the pandemic, Dr. Macaluso said a deadly surge two weeks from now isn't inevitable.
"People are following the rules, but we can't let our guard down," he said, "or it could be catastrophic."
