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Future of coronavirus testing is unclear
Healthcare workers will be administering more coronavirus tests than usual at the Orange County Convention Center on Tuesday. The testing site received a shipment from the state and will open on Tuesday with 328 tests to give -- but those supplies won't last long.
ORLANDO, Fla. - The coronavirus testing site at the Orange County Convention Center is running out of tests.
Officials said the site will remain open now that the state is getting involved with supplying more tests. They have enough to keep operating through the weekend while they wait for more tests from the federal government.
Cars continued to line up early on Tuesday morning as the Orange County Convention Center testing site ran out of federal tests. But before that could happen, the state sent an additional 250 tests to the team of nurses and National Guard medics to continue their work.
But the question is – for how much longer?
“We may get more federal tests - we may not,” deployed public information officer Lauren Luna said. “It depends on whether those come in.”
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More tests have been requested, but officials said the federal government is supplying tests to hundreds of locations across the country.
The state tests are different from the federal test. Instead of a nasal cavity swab, medics will take a swab from a patient’s throat. Officials said the tests are the same when it comes to accuracy and the results take about a week to come back.
Anyone can be tested for free as long as that person has a fever of 99.6 or higher with respiratory issues or an underlying condition. Healthcare workers and first responders can continue to be tested regardless of symptoms.
“Whether you’re a healthcare worker, a janitor in a hospital or anything where you feel you may have been exposed, please come out and be tested,” Luna said. “We’re here for this community. You don’t have to live in Orange County to be tested here.”
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Officials said they will administer 250 tests per day through Sunday.
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