Stadium, Fairgrounds To Be Drive-Thru Coronavirus Testing Sites

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, FL — Hillsborough County and major health organizations will set up the first large-scale, drive-through coronavirus testing sites at Raymond James Stadium and the Florida State Fairgrounds.

Hillsborough County Administrator Mike Merrill made the announcement Thursday.

The sites will be for people with a prescription for testing only.

Merrill said details on when the sites will open will be announced later.

The advantage is those who suspect they have coronavirus won't have to leave their cars and risk exposing other people, he said.

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"The other advantage of a drive-through is the healthcare workers who are collecting the samples don't have to change their protective gear every time they see a patient because they're driving through, and they're just doing the tests one right after the other," said Merrill.

Since there is a shortage of protective gear, the drive-through system will resolve the problem, he said.

On Wednesday, BayCare Health System opened drive-through testing sites at seven urgent care facilities. The drive-through testing sites are open only to BayCare patients who've been referred by their doctors for tests.

The locations of the drive-through facilities are:

• BayCare Urgent Care (Carillon), 900 Carillon Parkway, Suite. 106, St. Petersburg

• BayCare Urgent Care (New Port Richey), 4821 U.S. 19, New Port Richey

• BayCare Urgent Care (Countryside), 3351 N. McMullen-Booth Road, Clearwater

• BayCare Urgent Care (Tampa), 3440 W. Dr. MLK Jr. Blvd., Suite 100, Tampa

• BayCare Urgent Care (New Tampa), 17512 Dona Michelle Drive, Suite 5, Tampa

• BayCare Urgent Care (Bloomingdale), 2442 Bloomingdale Ave., Valrico

• BayCare Urgent Care (Haines City), 36245 U.S. 27, Haines City

In addition to announcing the locations of the drive-through testing sites, Merrill said Hillsborough Emergency Policy Group voted to limit the number of people who can attend public or private gatherings to no more than 10.

This includes community, civic, public leisure, faith-based events, sporting events and concerts. This prohibition includes fitness centers, health clubs, private clubs and theaters, but does not include venues that provide essential goods or services such as grocery stores, hospitals, pharmacies, gas stations, bank/credit unions and shelters.

The order also does not include restaurants with capacity restrictions that are governed by the Gov. Ron DeSantis' Executive Order 20-68.

The Hillsborough County Emergency Policy Group consists of three county commissioners, the mayors from the cities of Plant City, Tampa and Temple Terrace, the sheriff and chairman of the School Board.