County-Run COVID Testing Site Closes In Downtown Bradenton

BRADENTON, FL — Manatee County closed its downtown Bradenton COVID-19 testing site for good Saturday.

During the pandemic, more than 213,000 residents and visitors were tested for the virus at the site, which is run by NAMI Health, according to a county news release.

“From the epidemiology perspective, this testing has been extremely successful in identifying COVID spread in our community,” the county said. “The positivity rate shown daily captured a more magnified view of the community in comparison to the CDC data tracker since clients aligned with the demographics of the county. Data reported from this testing site was instrumental in working with the School District of Manatee County and long-term care facilities in order for them to update their COVID mitigation plans.”

In recent weeks, the number of citizens tested at the location averaged less than 25 a day.

Two other county-run sites at the Bradenton Area Convention Center and John Marble Park closed in March 2022.

A new testing location will open at the Florida Department of Health’s downtown Bradenton campus at 410 6th Ave. E. The site will provide COVID testing Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

FDOH also offers no-cost COVID vaccinations at its downtown Bradenton site, as well as its satellite location at 7780 Westmoreland Drive. Call 941-242-6646 to make an appointment or walk in at either location Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.