Medical group administers drive-up testing for coronavirus in The Villages

Appointment is required for the testing

SUMTER COUNTY, Fla. – Medical assistant Baylee Dumont is on the front lines of coronavirus testing.

She is one of the few medical professionals administering drive-up tests.

“We’re just going to do one swab in your throat,” Dumont said to one of the 16 patients they tested Wednesday.

Patients get two swabs, one in their nose and one in their throat. They are then advised to self-quarantine until their test results are back in 48-72 hours.

Craig Esquenazi is the Director of Operations and General Counsel for Premier Medical Associates in The Villages.

The tests are in short supply, so patients have to be screened first.

“All of the employees are extremely stressed,” Esquenazi said. It’s because of the system. At this point the amount of emails, the amount of calls coming in is tremendous."

The staff is taking in thousands of calls per day, those who qualify then have a TeleVisit with a doctor online.

Ten doctors are doing about 200 TeleVisits per day

"We can screen as many people as we can but just because you have symptoms doesn’t necessarily mean you get a test," he said.

The medical professionals have to take every precaution to protect themselves. After each test, Dumont disrobes, sanitizes, then reapplies gloves, facemask and a faceguard.

If you would like to be considered for a test for coronavirus, call their call center at 352-259-2159.

To keep up with the latest news on the pandemic, subscribe to News 6′s coronavirus newsletter or go to ClickOrlando.com/coronavirus.


About the Author:

Emmy Award-winning reporter Louis Bolden joined the News 6 team in September of 2001 and hasn't gotten a moment's rest since. Louis has been a General Assignment Reporter for News 6 and Weekend Morning Anchor. He joined the Special Projects/Investigative Unit in 2014.

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