Manatee County begins drive-thru COVID-19 testing. Here’s what to know before you go
Manatee County residents are being tested for the novel coronavirus faster than ever thanks to a new drive-thru testing site.
The program, which launched Thursday morning, serves to dramatically increase the number of Manatee patients with access to a test to check for COVID-19. Since the beginning of March, only 198 patients have been tested in Manatee County. That pales in comparison to Sarasota County, where 447 have been tested, and Hillsborough County, where nearly 2,000 have been tested.
In a matter of days, Manatee County could double its number of tests, thanks to a shipment of specimen collection kits from the Florida Division of Emergency Management.
Officials said Thursday’s appointments were fully booked, with 50 patients signed up for a COVID-19 test outside the Bradenton Area Convention Center. The program will run until Sunday, with 50 tests planned per day for a total of up to 200 tests.
As patients drove through the line, nurses equipped in protective face masks, gloves and gowns approached them while they sat in their cars. After holding up a sign urging patients to turn off their A/C, nurses used an extended swab to sample the back of the patient’s nasal cavity.
That sample is then placed in a tube and labeled before it is sent off to LabCorp, a private testing company. Patients can expect to learn the results of their COVID-19 test within two to five days, according to the Department of Health.
The program worked as expected Thursday morning, officials said, but as the process goes on, there may be changes to streamline the process and make it more efficient.
“We’re in uncharted territory, so as we go on, there’s lessons to learn and improve,” said Public Safety Director Jake Saur.
In an updated statewide coronavirus report released Thursday morning, the Florida Department of Health said 24 patients in Manatee County have tested positive for the novel coronavirus. It wasn’t immediately clear why the number had fallen from 26 positive cases in the previous report released Wednesday evening. Six Manatee patients are still awaiting test results.
How to get tested for COVID-19 in Manatee County
Residents are required to have both a doctor’s prescription and an appointment before they arrive at the convention center drive-thru testing site. At least one patient, who arrived without an appointment Thursday morning, was turned away and forced to schedule an appointment later in the week.
“We compromised on Friday. So, if positive, I may keel over dead before tomorrow or at least get much, much worse, but the little bureaucratic niceties were fulfilled,” the patient wrote in an email to the Bradenton Herald.
Nick Azzara, the county’s public information officer, stressed the importance of completing those two requirements before visiting the site.
“We want people to know that this testing is available and that you have to follow the right steps to get tested,” Azzara said.
The drive-thru testing is for Manatee County residents only. Patients will be asked to provide proof of residency with a driver’s license or another item, such as a local utilities bill that matches the patient’s name.
Patients are asked to call the Department of Health at (941) 242-6649 if they think they have the novel coronavirus. This call should be made before a patient seeks medical care. A representative will provide guidance for the next steps.
Once a person has received a doctor’s prescription for a COVID-19 test, they should call (941) 748-0747 to schedule an appointment at the Bradenton Area Convention Center. The drive-thru testing site will operate from Thursday to Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
How to get tested for COVID-19 in Sarasota County
Health officials in Sarasota are planning to launch a similar drive-thru testing program Friday morning, according to a news release.
The Department of Health in Sarasota County is partnering with Sarasota County government and Sarasota Memorial Hospital to collect specimens from potential coronavirus patients at Twin Lakes Park, 6700 Clark Road in Sarasota.
Just like Manatee’s implementation, the testing requires a doctor’s prescription, an appointment and proof of Sarasota County residence. The site will be open from 8 a.m. to noon, and should run through the weekend.
A health department spokesperson said Sarasota is also planning to accept 50 tests per day, “as long as their supplies hold out.”
Sarasota patients looking to get tested at this site need to call (941) 861-2883 before seeking medical care. Once a prescription has been received, the Department of Health will reach back out to the client to schedule an appointment at the testing site.
For more information, visit www.FloridaHealthCovid19.gov.
This story was originally published March 26, 2020 at 12:42 PM.
