MIAMI BEACH, Fla. – A new coronavirus testing site that will accept walk-up and drive-through patients opens to the public Friday morning in Miami Beach, although city officials will attend a soft opening at the location on Thursday.
The city partnered with the Florida Department of Health and Florida National Guard to open the testing facility at the Miami Beach Convention Center.
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The facility will offer both mobile and walk-up testing services daily from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. No appointment is needed.
Testing will be free and available to anyone, regardless if they are exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms.
Those under the age of 18 will need to be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber and City Manager Jimmy Morales will attend Thursday’s soft opening.
“Testing surveillance, contact tracing and isolation are critical to the health and well-being of our community,” Gelber said in a statement. “The opening of the testing facility provides more testing capacity allowing individuals to be tested even if they do not have symptoms. We need to see more progress and more slowing of the virus before we can begin implementing more measures to re-open Miami Beach.”
Walk-up testing services will be available within municipal parking lot P-29, located at 17th Street and Convention Center Drive, across from Miami Beach City Hall.
People are asked to enter at 17th Street and Convention Center Drive wearing a face covering and with a photo ID readily available.
Parking will not be available for walk-up testing patients.
The drive-through mobile testing service entrance is located at 17th Street and Convention Center Drive.
City officials ask that drivers remain in their cars with their windows up and their photo ID displayed on the dashboard.
Everyone inside each vehicle should be wearing a face covering, be seated next to a window and have their photo ID displayed.
There is a maximum of five tests per vehicle.
City officials said the facility will be able to test 400 patients daily, which could change in the future demanding on the demand.
At-home testing is available for homebound seniors in Miami Beach who are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, including fever, shortness of breath or a persistent cough.
To request an at-home test, call the city’s customer service center at 305-604-2489. The customer service center is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.