More drive-thru COVID-19 testing coming to Sarasota County residents
The Florida Department of Health in Sarasota County is offering another limited batch of drive-thru COVID-19 testing on Friday.
The testing is available to North Sarasota County residents who meet certain pre-screening requirements, according to the health department.
People eligible for testing include those who are experiencing symptoms such as fever, cough or shortness of breath as well as anyone who works in a “healthcare setting.”
An appointment is required to receive a test. Appointments can be made by calling the health department at 941-861-2883.
The testing will be conducted from 8 a.m. to noon Friday in the parking lot of Robert L. Taylor Community Complex, 1845 John Rivers Street off of 34th Street in Sarasota, according to the city of Sarasota. A mobile medical unit from the Florida Department of Health will administer the patient sample collections.
The health department said that while appointments are limited for Friday’s round of testing, more opportunities may become available in the future.
As of Thursday morning, there have been 253 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Sarasota County out of 2,594 tests administered. A total of 17 COVID-19-related deaths have been confirmed in the county by the state health department, and 88 hospitalizations have been reported.
A report released on Wednesday by business coalition the Tampa Bay Partnership noted that Sarasota and Manatee counties have experienced combined COVID-19 hospitalization numbers on par with Hillsborough County despite having about half as many residents. But testing has remained limited for the more southerly counties.
“Residents of Manatee and Sarasota counties may be more likely than the average Tampa Bay resident to have the coronavirus, and less likely to have been tested for it,” the analysis stated.
Sarasota County’s COVID-19 test positive rate currently stands at 9.8 percent, compared to 14.9 percent in Manatee County, 6.5 percent in Hillsborough County and 5.4 percent in Pinellas County. The statewide rate stands at 10.5 percent.
This story was originally published April 16, 2020 at 8:23 AM.