Thousands Tested Daily, As Jackson Health Expects First Coronavirus Vaccine Shipment In Mid-December
MIAMI (CBSMiami) - The wait time to get tested for the coronavirus at Hard Rock Stadium was about an hour on Wednesday morning.
But that doesn't mean they're not busy. Between Monday and Tuesday, the medical team in Miami Gardens has tested more than 6,500 people.
"So far this week we've done well over 3,000 tests at the hard rock test site daily. we're still anticipating a busy week," said Mike Jachles, spokesperson for the Hard Rock testing site.
On Wednesday, it was another busy day at the Miami Gardens location with people looking to get tested for COVID-19.
The stadium is the busiest testing site in the state and it did not slow down following the Thanksgiving holiday.
"Since Thanksgiving, it seems like we have more people per car that we're testing. So, it appears that families are coming through, whereas before it was not uncommon for us to just see one or two people per vehicle," said Jachles.
Earlier this week, on Monday, the line to get tested at one point had a three-hour wait.
And on Tuesday, Florida hit one million confirmed COVID-19 cases statewide.
As many in South Florida look to get tested, there is promising news on a coronavirus vaccine.
Federal documents obtained by CBS News point to mid to late December for states to start receiving the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines.
Both vaccines are still waiting on emergency FDA authorization.
"With the vaccine, we are hoping the initial data looks promising," said Venessa Goodnow, chief pharmacy officer at Jackson Health System.
If approved, Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami is set to get a shipment of the vaccine in mid-December.
"With this ability for us to vaccinate and have protection against COVID-19, it would allow us to start looking forward," said Goodnow.
Jackson Health System is equipped with state-of-the-art freezers meant to preserve the vaccine.
Hospital staff opting to get the vaccine will be prioritized from highest risk to lowest risk.
If you do plan on heading to Hard Rock to get tested, officials are reminding you to make sure you have a full tank of gas, use the restroom before you get here, and make sure your windows can fully go up and down.
The Centers for Disease Control assembled a panel of experts who decided which Americans will receive the vaccine first. They determined the approximately 20-million first doses should be made available to health care workers and nursing home residents.
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As Americans struggle, a bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced a $908-billion COVID relief package before key programs expire at the end of the year.
"We cannot abandon the American people, the families who are suffering at this time," said Senator Lisa Murkowski, R-AK.
"This four-month COVID-19 emergency relief package will help get us through the hardest months of winter and into a new administration," said Representative Josh Gottheimer, D-NJ.
With cases rising, so are restrictions. Most of California is already under a mandatory curfew and the governor warns he may institute a full stay at home order.
Click here to see where you can get tested for the coronavirus.
