400+ tests given on first day of Broward County COVID-19 testing site
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - Governor Ron DeSantis' most recent coronavirus update came with both promising and disappointing news. While the first day of testing for COVID-19 at the new Florida National Guard site exceeded expectations, we also learned of two new deaths at the same assisted living facility.
DeSantis had a message for those running Florida's assisted-living facilities.
"You need to take responsibility to protect your residents," DeSantis said at a Friday afternoon press conference.
DeSantis said the two COVID-19 patients who died were residents at Broward County's Atria Willow Wood. The facility counted 7 positive cases, with 6 tests pending.
"What the investigation has found out is that construction workers, staff and cooks who were ill were not screened and allowed to go work their jobs mix with the residents, unimpeded - that is exactly what you are not supposed to do," he said.
With Broward at the epicenter of the state's outbreak, Friday, a drive-thru site run by the Florida National Guard opened for testing at C.B. Smith Park. The goal was to collect 250 samples. By late afternoon, they'd surpassed 400.
"We would like to scale this up and hopefully, replicate it around the state because I really think the number one thing we need is just a lot more people to have been tested," DeSantis said.
As of Friday night, nearly 7,400 tests had been given in Florida with 563 positive results. More testing, the Governor said, will mean more informed decisions on where the virus is present and where it's spreading.
"If we are able to get all testing supplies where they need to go, and you have a county that has 5-10 positives, we have an opportunity, doing these investigations, to isolate, trace the context, test, test, test," DeSantis said.
He cited South Korea as a model for this.
"The more you test, the less restrictive some of these things are going to need to be on society," DeSantis said. "South Korea never did a lockdown because they did over 200,000 tests, they understood where the virus had gone, and they were able to contain it amongst a pretty large group of people."
If you feel sick:
The Florida Department of Health has opened a COVID-19 Call Center at 1-866-779-6121. Agents will answer questions around the clock. Questions may also be emailed to covid-19@flhealth.gov. Email responses will be sent during call center hours.
LINK: Florida's COVID-19 website
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