Ryan Nicol
Broward County is set to offer mobile, in-home COVID-19 testing beginning Wednesday for elderly or disabled residents.
Broward County is partnering with the Florida Department of Health in Broward, American Medical Response (AMR) and Century Ambulance Services (CAS) to launch the program May 6.
The mobile testing operation will initially operate on weekdays from 9 a.m. through noon, then from 1-4 p.m.
Initially, the program will be available for homebound individuals who are unable to access the already existing drive-thru or walk-in sites available throughout the county.
AMR and CAS will provide health workers and transportation to collect specimens. The Department of Health in Broward County will handle the testing process and notify residents if they test positive.
“AMR and CAS will each collect up to 12 specimens per day but will have the capability to ramp up staffing to complete up to 25 tests per day,” according to a news release announcing the launch.
“Florida Department of Health in Broward will be prepared to receive and process up to 50 specimens daily from AMR and CAS.”
Interested residents should call the Broward County COVID-19 Call Center at 954-357-9500. That line is open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day, including weekends.
“This expanded testing program is a perfect example of how partners can come together and contribute collaboratively to initiatives that move our response to this public health crisis forward, to a healthier community and quicker economic recovery,” said Broward County Administrator Bertha Henry.
South Florida has served as the epicenter of the outbreak in the state. As of Monday morning, Broward County accounted for 5,383 of the state’s 36,897 cases — or nearly 15%.
Broward ranks second to Miami-Dade County (to its south), where there are more than 13,000 known positives. Palm Beach County, which is just north of Broward, has 3,311 confirmed positives as of Monday morning.
