Bradenton Area Convention Center Testing Site Will Stay Open As COVID-19 Surges In Florida

PALMETTO, FL — The COVID-19 testing site at the Bradenton Area Convention Center in Palmetto was scheduled to move in the new year because of planned construction at the location.

But with coronavirus surging in Florida and across the country, the current testing site will remain in place for the time being.

The site, operated by Manatee County and Nomi Health, will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on New Year’s Eve, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on New Year’s Day and 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday.

Just shy of 47,000 new cases were reported in Florida Wednesday, breaking the state’s record for the number of cases reported in a single day, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

According to data from the Florida Department of Health, the state saw a new case positivity rate of 13.8 percent and 125,201 new coronavirus cases from Dec. 17-23.

In Manatee County, there was a 6.9 percent positivity rate and 824 new cases reported during this period.

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“(The testing site) is remaining at the BACC because of the high demand for testing right now. We will reevaluate in February to see if demand has gone down enough to support a possible new site in downtown Bradenton,” Chloe Conboy, the county’s strategic affairs manager, said.

The number of people seeking COVID-19 tests in Manatee County jumped in the days leading up to Christmas. Testing numbers remain high days ahead of New Year’s Eve.

There were 2,056 coronavirus tests, a mix of rapid and PCR testing, done on Tuesday, according to data provided by the county’s Emergency Management Division. Just one week earlier, on Dec. 21, only 982 tests were done at the site.

Demand for testing doubled week-over-week at the site. From Dec. 22-28, there were 10,460 tests done at the convention center, even with the site shut down for Christmas Day. From Dec. 15-21, 5,050 tests were completed at the location.

“We have learned that when testing demand goes up, the positivity rate goes up and we want to prepare for another wave,” Conboy said. “Manatee County has decided to keep our COVID-19 testing site at the Bradenton Area Convention Center because the demand is so high right now. The best way to continue to protect yourself from COVID-19 is by getting a vaccine and wearing a mask when you’re unable to social distance.”

In addition to the Bradenton Area Convention Center, select pharmacies and other health care facilities in Manatee County also offer testing including:

• America's Pharmacy
• CVS
• Ellenton Urgent Care
• MCR Health
• Quest Diagnostics
• Walgreens