Manatee County Libraries To Give Away 7,500 At-Home COVID-19 Testing Kits

MANATEE COUNTY, FL – Manatee County will distribute 7,500 at-home COVID-19 testing kits on a first-come, first-served basis at all Manatee County libraries Wednesday.

The rapid COVID-19 test kits, which have been provided by the Florida Department of Health, will be available at all branches when they open, the county said in a news release.

The Palmetto and South Manatee branches open at 9 a.m., while the Braden River branch opens at 10 a.m. The Downtown Central, Island and Rocky Bluff branches open at noon.

The county’s six libraries are located at:

• Downtown Central Branch, 1301 Barcarrota Blvd. W., Bradenton
• Bradenton River Branch, 4915 53rd Ave. E., Bradenton
• Island Branch, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach
• Palmetto Branch, 923 6th Street W., Palmetto
• Rocky Bluff Branch, 6750 U.S. Highway 301 N., Ellenton
• South Manatee Branch, 6081 26th Street W., Bradenton

Four test kits for each person will be available at the front desk area of each library. Learn more about library locations and their hours here.

COVID-19 cases have surged in Florida in recent weeks. Over the New Year's holiday weekend, Florida reported more than 142,000 new COVID-19 cases in three days, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Florida Department of Health data shows 298,455 new cases statewide and a new case positivity rate of 26.5 percent reported in Florida from Dec. 24-30.

In Manatee County during this period, 2,805 new cases and an 18.2 percent new case positivity rate were reported, according to the FDOH.

“Manatee County is working hard to make sure all residents have access to COVID-19 tests,” Manatee County Public Safety Director Jacob Saur said. “I want to remind everyone that the best way to continue to protect yourself from COVID-19 is by getting vaccinated and wearing a mask when you’re unable to social distance.”

Those who test positive for COVID-19 should isolate and inform their health care provider and any close contacts, according to the county's news release.

Manatee County also suggests that those with a positive test result should stay home or isolate for 10 days, wear a mask if they come into contact with others, and avoid indoor gatherings to reduce the risk of spreading the virus to others.

A negative self-test result means that the test did not detect the virus and you may not have an infection, but it does not rule out infection, the county added.

In addition to the free at-home tests, testing is available at the Bradenton Area Convention Center, 1 Haben Blvd. in Palmetto, daily, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

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

Related Stories:

• COVID Testing Site Opens For Manatee County Students, Staff
• 142K COVID Cases Reported In FL Over New Year's Eve Weekend: CDC
• Bradenton Convention Center Testing Site Will Remain Open: County