TESTING

Encouraging people to get tested and know their HIV status can help them stay healthy, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The Florida Department of Health in Marion County announced it is offering an additional day of COVID testing at a local drive-thru site.

Saying that the “federal government is not going to come through” on a plan to distribute at-home coronavirus tests, Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday said the state is honing its own strategy to send tests to vulnerable Floridians.

Cars began lining up outside the Econ Soccer Complex before 6 a.m. on Tuesday.

Barnett Park reached capacity on Wednesday at 4:20 in the afternoon, forcing the site to close early, according to Orange County.

Orange County is adding a vaccination lane to the Barnett Park testing site, according to Mayor Jerry Demings.

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Many upset Orange County parents say they plan to opt-out of state testing after Superintendent Barbara Jenkins announced all schools will move forward with administering state assessments, including the FSA, and must do so in-person, according to an order from the Florida Department of Education. “My kids aren’t going to school for this,” said Orange County mom Angie Giurtino, who has a 6th grader at Legacy Middle School. “My husband and I are really going to be evaluating do we want to send him on campus to do that.”AdAccording to Orange County School Board Member Angie Gallo, she is anticipating parents opt-ing out. Ron DeSantis extends the spring state testing windows for Florida State Assessments by two weeks to allow for further flexibility for makeups, if needed. AdBy statute, students must pass the Grade 10 ELA state assessment and Algebra 1 EOC state assessment before graduating.

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – The future of coronavirus testing site at Barnett Park is uncertain. Orange County currently has funding to keep the testing operation up and running through Jan. 30. “The county currently has no additional funding sources.”Banks added that the county plans to make an announcement on continuing testing at Barnett Park within the next week. It is unclear how much of that money was received by Orange County. The Barnett Park testing site offers drive-thru testing seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

ORLANDO, Fla. – Classes at the University of Central Florida resume Monday after the holiday break and students returning to school must test negative for COVID-19 before checking into on-campus housing for the spring semester, according to a news release from UCF. According to the release, 7,000 students will be rapid tested for coronavirus during a five-day period and must receive negative results before they can check into their housing. Students who do test positive for COVID-19 will be given the option of returning home to isolate or spending the isolation period in designated housing locations on campus, school officials said. Due to the ongoing pandemic, on-campus housing remains at limited capacity for the spring semester, though about 800 more students will live on campus than in the fall, according to the release. Should they need to due to public health conditions, university officials said they’re prepared to pivot to more remote teaching and work at any time.

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – After testing sites closed for Christmas, Floridians were eager to get tested when the sites resumed testing. According to the Florida Association of Public Information Officers, wait times at the Orange County Convention Center were around two hours. According to officials, the testing site is open until 5 p.m. but the gates may close early. Orange County Health Services extended free COVID-19 testing at Barnett Park through Jan. 30 on Saturday. New patients at the @OrangeCoFL COVID testing site at Barnett Park will not be accepted after 3:45 p.m. today due to reaching capacity.

NEW SMYRNA, Fla. – One state-run testing site in Volusia County will be extended to January 2021, officials said. The site, which was originally scheduled to close at the end of November, will continue through Jan. 31. The test site offers both self-swab rapid antigen and PCR testing and operates from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. [TRENDING: Gov: Vaccine coming to Florida ‘relatively soon’ | CDC: Avoid Thanksgiving travel | Georgia presidential race recount results]Results for rapid testing at the site are expected within 15 minutes. “Both PCR and rapid testing are self-swab nasal tests and, while slightly uncomfortable, are not painful,” officials added.

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Orange County residents lined up early Monday morning outside Barnett Park for the first day of rapid testing. The county-run testing site is now offering the tests on weekdays with results ready in less than 30 minutes. Public Safety Director of Orange County Danny Banks explained the county made the move because the rapid tests are in high demand. [TRENDING: Eta drenches Florida | 2 killed in Orange County crash | Biden names COVID-19 task force]“We see that’s what our community wanted, they want access to this rapid testing, we also have the nasal PCR testing continuing here at this site,” Banks said. Rapid testing is available at Barnett Park at 4801 W. Colonial Drive Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.For more details visit ocfl.net/Testing.

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. Dr. Raul Pino with the Florida Department of Health gave the Orange County Medical Advisory committee an encouraging report and took questions on Wednesday. We have received confirmation that rapid testing has been sent to us so we should have it soon, Dr. Pino said. Rapid testing is on the way, this comes after Olympia High School was forced to close. Grand total of cases so far is about 92, that was earlier this afternoon at 63 different schools, Superintendent Jenkins said. It is not clear how soon rapid testing will be available or who it will be available to.

SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. – Seminole County is will host coronavirus testing operations at a new pop-up testing site in Sanford. Anyone over the age of 18 can head to the Seminole County Criminal Justice Center Wednesday and Thursday to get tested for COVID-19 free of cost. Testing will run from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m, appointments are preferred. Patients do not have to show symptoms to get tested. Though testing is free, site officials those with insurance to bring their insurance cards.

WINTER GARDEN, Fla. Dozens of homeless individuals and their families lined up outside Matthews Hope in Winter Garden Tuesday as part of recent new testing made available to the under-served part of the community. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention says the homeless population is at risk of contracting the coronavirus. Im out here because Im a diabetic, so Im a risk - High risk, he said. Ive been trying to stay away from people wearing my mask, putting my gloves on when I need to and Ive been doing pretty good.Matthew's Hope began offering coronavirus testing a month ago. Billue added they have handed out around 15,000 medical masks so far, and plan to host another round of coronavirus testing in a couple of weeks.

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. Orange County residents can soon receive a free COVID-19 test at Econ Soccer Complex. According to officials, Orange County Health Services will open its test site from July 27 to Aug. 1. The test site will be open from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.To maximize communication with individuals about test results, individuals will have the option to receive text/phone and on the website to check results, officials said. Individuals must be 18 years and older, as well as be an Orange County resident, officials added. After receiving their test, residents will receive a free packet of face masks and hand sanitizer, according to a news release.

All rights reserved)OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. A coronavirus testing site in Osceola County has reached its daily capacity. The testing site at Osceola Heritage Park reached its limit of 450 tests before 9 a.m. Wednesday. Officials said testing will continue Thursday morning at 9 a.m.For more information and additional testing sites in Central Florida click or tap here. Osceola County has a total of 3,190 positive coronavirus cases according to the Florida Department of Health. To keep up with the latest news on the pandemic, subscribe to News 6s coronavirus newsletter and go to ClickOrlando.com/coronavirus.

Governor DeSantis expecting the surge in Coronavirus cases as the State slowly re-opensIf you need help with the Public File, call 407-291-6000.

VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. – The City of Port Orange is implementing new drive-thru testing sites as Florida enters phase two of the state’s reopening plan. The testing site will be located on Halifax Drive, anyone will be able to receive a nasal swab COVID-19 test. According to a news release, residents will need to enter Halifax Drive from Dunlawton Ave., across from Aunt Catfish’s. Patients will be given a roadside test and will then exit the testing site on Herbert Street. Electronic signboards will be put in place and traffic will be directed onto Halifax Drive during these times.

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – Brevard County is opening additional coronavirus testing site locations. The county has partnered with the state department of health, the county’s housing and human services department, parks and recreation and New Shiloh Christian Center to offer free COVID-19 testing in underserved communities. [INTERACTIVE MAP: Here’s where to get your drive-thru coronavirus test]Testing will be available regardless of symptoms. Brevard County is also seeing an increase in hepatitis A cases and will be offering vaccines at all testing sites. Those looking to get a hepatitis A vaccine will be screened before entering and must not have any coronavirus symptoms before stepping inside.

AdventHealth, who relies on third-party labs to provide test results, has terminated a contract with one lab after unacceptable delays. “AdventHealth has advised that one of the labs they were using for the sputum based COVID-19 testing at our Daytona State College - Palm Coast testing site was unreliable. We are working diligently to notify and appropriately accommodate those who are impacted,” officials added. Individuals with unreliable negative results who are symptomatic need to seek care and may require retesting. Individuals with unreliable negative results who are asymptomatic but request to be retested will be offered testing pending availability.

As coronavirus cases continue to rise in the Sunshine State, CVS Health announced Thursday that it would be opening 10 coronavirus test sites throughout the State. These new sites will utilize self-swab tests and mark the next phase of the company’s nationwide COVID-19 testing strategy, a news release said. [CORONAVIRUS BRIEFING: Daily ClickOrlando.com newsletter delivered to your inbox]The 10 test sites are part of the first rollout of new sites, which includes 51 locations in Arizona, Connecticut, Florida, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania. The new testing sites in Florida include:CVS Pharmacy, 1000 East Tarpon Avenue, Tarpon Springs, FL 34689CVS Pharmacy, 2322 Land O Lakes Boulevard, Lutz, FL 33549CVS Pharmacy, 2400 Enterprise Road, Orange City, FL 32763CVS Pharmacy, 221 South S.R. CVS Pharmacy, HealthHUB and MinuteClinic will continue to serve customers and patients, officials added.

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – COVID-19 antibody testing is underway at the Orange County Convention Center after a slight delay due to missing testing equipment, according to a testing site official. She said the first day of antibody testing for frontline workers had a rocky start. She said antibody testing was initially delayed because the site did not get a shipment of blood tubes needed to conduct the tests. A few hours after the testing site opened, Luna said they got the equipment they needed and immediately started testing. The convention center site can test 80 people a day.

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Orange County leaders announced new round of mobile coronavirus testing sites Wednesday, plus some new locations in the Winter Park area. Orange County has a staggering 1,460 cases of coronavirus, the highest case amount in Central Florida. ⚠️ #COVID19 TESTING SITES FOR 32822, 32825, 32792✅ Waterford Lakes site opens at Legacy Middle School, May 7-8. 🔵Must be 18 years+🔵OC residents only pic.twitter.com/2MKlqWkF5J — Orange County FL (@OrangeCoFL) May 6, 2020Anyone looking to get a free test will need to schedule an appointment prior. According to health officials, 10% of the people who tested positive for the coronavirus in Orange County displayed no symptoms, according to the Florida Department of Health.

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – COVID-19 testing has started in the so-called hot zones in Orange County. The testing sites are located at Ventura Elementary School in 32822 and South Orange Youth Park in 32824. [INTERACTIVE MAP: Here’s where to get your drive-thru coronavirus test]“We are just optimistic that within this hot zone 32822 zip code were able to increase testing,” Mayor Jerry Demings said. Health officials said residents had been asking for testing sites in these hard-hit areas for a while but couldn’t open until now. To keep up with the latest news on the pandemic, subscribe to News 6′s coronavirus newsletter or go to ClickOrlando.com/coronavirus.

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Orange County is kicking off its mobile coronavirus testing sites this week. In less than 24 hours the park will transform into Orange County's first COVID-19 mobile testing site. RELATED: One-on-one with Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings | One percent of Florida’s population has been tested for COVID-19, officials sayOrange County Health Officer Dr. Raul Pino said the state health department is hoping to get a better idea of how widespread coronavirus is by bringing testing into communities. The FDOH announced the mobile testing site locations last week. Pino told News 6 on Friday they could add more dates depending on how this first round of mobile testing goes.

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Dozens of vehicles lined up outside the Orange County Convention Center on Wednesday as the state eased restrictions at its regional coronavirus testing site. At the location, which opened March 25, testing was previously reserved for first responders, medical workers and anyone 65 or over who showed symptoms of COVID-19. "This test is here to help people, so if you fall into that category we welcome you to be tested. The new guidelines come after the location received an additional 1,000 coronavirus testing kits, according to Luna. If you fit that criteria, we will test you,” Luna said.

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – To expedite screening for COVID-19 testing at the Orange County Convention Center, a second lane was added Thursday. This is where the bulk of the waiting happened,” said Florida deployed public information officer Lauren Luna. [CORONAVIRUS BRIEFING: Daily ClickOrlando.com newsletter delivered to your inbox]The federal-run testing site is operated by over 260 guardsmen, over 40 nurses and some Florida emergency management officials. The drive-thru testing site is open to people 65 years of age or older with respiratory symptoms and an on-site temperature of 99.6 or higher. Those who plan to get tested for COVID-19 at the Orlando convention center are asked to stay in their car and make sure they have a valid ID with them.

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – A drive-thru coronavirus testing site opened at 9 a.m. Wednesday at the Orange County Convention Center for patients meeting specific criteria. Testing will only be available for those who are 65-years-old and older and have COVID-19 symptoms. The test site will be a drive-thru site only and will be limited to 250 tests per day, officials said. No bicycles or mopeds will be allowed at the testing site. When patients arrive at the testing site they will be pre-screened.

THE VILLAGES, Fla. – The University of Florida is offering coronavirus tests for residents at The Villages, according to a news release. As a result, we can only offer a limited number of testing appointments each day and currently only to residents of The Villages,” officials said. Ron DeSantis announced the testing site will be operational and available by residents of The Villages on an appointment only basis. Appointment slots for tomorrow’s drive-thru virus testing at The Villages Polo Club are now open to be requested at https://t.co/ugTI5cs71C. RELATED: Governor: ‘Golf cart’ drive-thru coronavirus test site at The Villages possibleAccording to the university, the testing process will consist of two arms.

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – As coronavirus cases increase in Central Florida, state lawmakers are ramping up testing sites. The new site in Orange County comes in the form of a drive-thru tent. While the tents have been constructed in the parking lot of the Orange County Convention Center, a date of when operations will begin has not been released. RELATED: INTERACTIVE MAP: Here’s where to get your drive-thru coronavirus test“It’s not going to get done overnight. “If you’re ten feet away from somebody, you’re protecting yourself, you’re going to be fine.