Duval health department explores expanding COVID-19 testing hours as long lines continue

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City disquieted astir expanding investigating sites due to the fact that of a shortage successful wellness attraction workers

Duval wellness section explores expanding COVID-19 investigating hours arsenic agelong lines continue

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Florida Department of Health successful Duval County is looking into expanding its COVID-19 investigating hours arsenic the request for investigating continues to emergence successful the metropolis amid the latest spike successful cases.

Right now, the wellness section is offering escaped investigating astatine its Springfield halfway from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Representatives with the wellness section spoke to Jacksonville City Council connected Monday and said it is hoping to alteration investigating hours to 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., and perchance adding investigating availability connected Saturdays.

The Duval County Health Department’s Central Health Plaza astatine 515 West 6th St. is 1 of a fewer sites successful the metropolis wherever radical tin get tested for free.

A spokesperson for Mayor Lenny Curry’s said it is disquieted astir expanding investigating sites due to the fact that of a shortage successful wellness attraction workers.

MORE | Florida breaks grounds for COVID-19 hospitalizations

Testing tract hours could grow successful Duval County

According to the wellness department, much than 2,100 radical were tested for coronavirus determination past week.

The projected change, which hasn’t been made yet, comes aft Jacksonville residents lined up for hours extracurricular the Springfield bureau Friday contempt scorching temperatures.

There were agelong lines again connected Monday.

Ollivan Bell was astatine the extremity of the enactment and waiting to beryllium tested. It was a hold that was expected to past 2 hours.

“I person been sick but I’ve had the vaccine but I’ve been exposed to it,” Bell said.

The mayor’s bureau said it is moving connected reducing the hold times.

“We are looking astatine locations and talking to providers but we are prepared to enactment with the section of wellness and different nationalist providers for locations, but what we can’t bash close present is restart administering a programme that requires america to siphon healthcare providers retired of a strategy that already desperately needs them,” said Chief Administrative Officer Brian Hughes.

No connection yet connected erstwhile the hours whitethorn expand.

The metropolis assembly president said Monday helium has been talking with Agape Family Health astir opening much sites astatine assemblage centers perchance this week.