Bradenton-area COVID testing sites to close for the holidays. One of them has relocated  

The drive-thru COVID-19 testing site previously located at Cattlemen Road near the Manatee-Sarasota County line has moved.

It closed Sunday and reopened in its new location on Tuesday morning at 5400 Bradenton Rd. in Sarasota, in the parking lot of the former Sarasota Kennel Club. The site will operate from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, or until it hits capacity, according to Sarasota County government.

Testing is available for all ages regardless of symptoms, and no appointment or prescription is necessary.

The site, operated in partnership between the Florida Department of Health, the Florida Division of Emergency Management, the Florida National Guard and Sarasota and Manatee counties, can administer up to 1,000 tests a day for the novel coronavirus. The site offers both PCR tests, which are more accurate but take several days to process, and rapid antigen tests, which provide results within minutes.

The state-operated walk-up testing site at the Bradenton Area Convention Center, One Haben Blvd., Palmetto, also remains open. It will be temporarily closed, along with the Sarasota location and all state-run testing sites, on Dec. 24 and 25 and on Jan. 1.

The convention center site offers antigen tests, according to county officials, which may be followed up with a PCR test if a false negative is suspected.

If you need a test while state-run sites are closed, Manatee County officials recommend visiting a personal doctor or a local MCR Health location. There may be fees or costs for testing at MCR Health, according to Manatee County.

Testing is also available at select CVS and Walgreens locations, and it is free for those who have eligible insurance or receive federal assistance.

Note: This story has been updated to reflect that the state-run COVID-19 testing site in Sarasota County opened at a new location on Tuesday morning. Officials previously said it would not open until after Christmas.

This story was originally published December 21, 2020 at 7:24 PM.