Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava announces continuation of COVID-19 testing
MIAMI – Good news for those needing to get tested for COVID-19 or vaccinated against it.
Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava says the county's 32 sites for COVID testing and vaccinations will remain open indefinitely, even though the county is running out of federal funds for the project by Thursday, June 30.
The mayor told CBS4's Peter D'Oench that it is all about a commitment to protecting the public at sites like Tropical Park, which is open 24/7 with licensed practical and registered nurses administering the shots and the tests.
Nomi Health, which has administered the program for nearly two years, says it has helped as many as 10,000 people a day at the Tropical Park site, which is one of the busiest sites in the county.
"We currently provide 225 vaccine doses every single day and 11,000 COVID tests every day (in MIami-Dade County)," said the mayor. "It is increasingly clear that our residents want and need access to critical health services."
She said along with Nomi Health, "We have agreed to maintain vaccination and testing services virtually uninterrupted all the way through June and in to July and beyond, making us one of the few counties in the country offering services to everyone. We are so grateful to those at Nomi Health for their investment and providing services across the county. We stand committed to easy access and testing and keeping our residents safe and healthy."
The Miami-Dade mayor said testing is free as long as people can provide a proof of address.
"There will be no changes to availability in Miami-Dade," she said. "Since this program began with Nomi Health, we have provided over 8.5 million tests and 600,000 vaccines in Miami-Dade. Keep yourself and your loved ones safe and if you have no already done so, get your shot. I am double boosted, and I am proud of it."
Gabriela Ibarra, the director of customer development at Nomi Health, said, "It is our position that the uninsured need testing the most and need access the most to vaccines. That's why we believe this is the best course. The sites will be open indefinitely."
The mayor said, "I think it is self-evident that people getting tested want the vaccine and do not want obstacles in the way of getting tested."
The mayor said Miami-Dade has the highest vaccination rate in the state.
Records show that at least 85% of the county's residents are fully vaccinated. Records show that Monroe County has the third highest rate of vaccinations and Broward County has the fifth highest rate in the state.
