South Florida 'Epicenter' Of State's Coronavirus Outbreak

PEMBROKE PINES, FL — Declaring Broward County and South Florida to be the "epicenter" of the state's coronavirus outbreak, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis took the wraps off a new drive-thru testing center Thursday that could serve as a model for others in the state.

"It's not gong to be able to assist pedestrians or bikers to enter. You just have to be in a vehicle," the governor said. "There will likely be a line of people to get in so you will be winding around this park. They can go through each car ... in about eight minutes."

The governor said everyone who gets tested must bring ID with them to the park. Combat medics with the Florida National Guard will collect the specimen. Memorial physicians and medical technicians will be on site to support the combat medics.

"Once you arrive to the testing area, a medic wearing a Tyvek suit will collect a sample with a swab of the nostril," the governor said. "Another service member will be responsible for scribing the information from the patient's placard to the bio-hazard bag and another will be responsible for collecting the sample and placing it in the bag."

DeSantis said the samples will be refrigerated and sent to an independent laboratory for analysis at first.

"Once the lab here locally is up and running then they are going to hopefully send it there on the same day," he said, referring to Memorial Healthcare System, which operates Memorial Hospital West just outside the park.

A spokesperson for Memorial Healthcare said there will not be a need for pre-screening or appointment.

"If this is something that is successful, it not only will help the folks here in Broward County, it can help folks all over the state as this is replicated," he said.

With five testing stations in the park, DeSantis said he hopes to be able to expand COVID-19 testing to more groups once additional supplies arrive.

"Once we get more data with all the testing and we can expand that, that's going to help, I think, people make better policy decisions about what we're doing," the governor said. "Right now people are kind of flying blind because there hasn't been enough tests done. We're going to try to change that."

Initially, officials have enough supplies to accommodate 4,000 people. The priority will be on testing health care workers and people 65 and older who show signs of the illness, have been on a cruise or in an affected area or if they are immunocompromised. Everyone must bring identification.

"We're all in this together," DeSantis said. "Broward County right now in Florida is the epicenter of what we're seeing. We need to be here for our friends in Broward and turn the tide on this thing."

The COVID-19 tests will be performed between 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the park, which is located at 900 N. Flamingo Rd. in Pembroke Pines.

For more information, call the Florida Department of Health in Broward County at 954-412-7300 or check the Memorial Health System website.

Here is the testing criteria, according to Memorial Healthcare officials:

• First responders who are symptomatic: policemen, firemen, medical staff and essential staff that support the management agencies working toward keeping the citizens of Florida safe and informed. (Must bring ID)
• People 65 or older, with COVID-19 symptoms and chronic conditions (Must bring ID)
• Individuals who meet the testing criteria: symptomatic, have traveled international cruise or air or from an affected geographic area, or immune compromised with symptoms (Must bring ID)

Anyone who does not meet the criteria will be turned away, according to officials.