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Christmas brings high demand for COVID tests in Miami-Dade

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – With Nochebuena and Christmas Eve gatherings just hours away, there was confusion at the COVID-19 testing site at Tropical Park.

Testing was supposed to run until three but the line was cut off earlier and drivers were turned away.

“We are working closely with the testing provider, Nomi Health, to ensure any operational issues today are immediately corrected,” the office of Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said in a statement. “Tomorrow on Christmas Day, Tropical Park, South Dade Government Center and Miami Dade College North testing sites will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and if you are in line by 4 p.m. at any of these sites you will be tested.”

There was also a huge demand for the at-home COVID-19 testing kits. Miami-Dade handed out thousands on Friday while supplies lasted at five library branches.

In total, 12,500 of those free tests were distributed at Miami-Dade libraries Friday, with another 20,000 to be distributed at 27 public libraries on Monday.

“We are committed to providing free testing across our community and doing everything we can to respond to the enormous increase in demand we’ve seen over the holidays,” the mayor’s office said.

ADDITIONAL LINKS

Miami-Dade County coronavirus home page

Miami-Dade Public Library locations

For information on where you can get a COVID-19 test or vaccine in South Florida, click here.


About the Author
Christina Vazquez headshot

Christina returned to Local 10 in 2019 as a reporter after covering Hurricane Dorian for the station. She is an Edward R. Murrow Award-winning journalist and previously earned an Emmy Award while at WPLG for her investigative consumer protection segment "Call Christina."

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