MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – In the beginning of February, Hard Rock Stadium was the site of Super Bowl LIV. More than 62,000 fans packed the stadium on Feb. 2, 2020 to see the Kansas City Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers.
Now, about a month and a half later, there will be cars waiting to get into the parking lot, but for a different reason. Beginning Monday, Hard Rock Stadium will become a drive-through COVID-19 testing site.
Swab samples will be collected beginning at 9 a.m. in the east lot of the Hard Rock Stadium, 347 Don Shula Drive, and it will be free of charge. The site will continue testing from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.
Not everyone should show up for a test and those who don’t meet the criteria will get turned away.
Testing is only for people who are 65 years of age or older. You must have COVID-19 symptoms to be tested.
First responders and health care workers will also be tested, but they do not have to have any symptoms.
Testing was held on Sunday, but only for first responders, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Everyone was told to bring identification.
According to Miami-Dade County, more than 350 first responders came through the testing site on Sunday.
There was such a large volume of people that the line was closed off at 3:30 p.m.
Medics with the Florida Army National Guard are administering the specimen collection. Medical technicians were also on site. Nurses, wearing personal protective equipment, will screen through prospective patients.
When an individual arrives on site, they will be screened at the entrance of the lot. After they are screened, they will either be directed to the test tent or they will be directed out of the exit of the lot (if they do not meet the criteria).
The test site is drive-through only. No one will be able to get out of their car and no one should arrive on a bike or a scooter.
Those who get the test administered will have the inside of their nose swabbed. The sample will then be sent to an approved testing lab. Test results will take from 48 to 72 hours and a health representative will notify those who have been tested of the results.
