Prime Osborn Testing Site Closes As City Of Jacksonville Rapidly Expands Testing Around County

Press release from the City of Jacksonville:

May 20, 2020

With the rapid expansion of COVID-19 testing availability throughout Duval County, the City of Jacksonville sponsored drive-thru testing site, in partnership with Telescope Health and Baptist Health, will discontinue operations at the Prime Osborn Convention Center. The last day of operation is today, Wednesday, May 20. This was the first public site to offer COVID-19 testing across Greater Northeast Florida. Since that time, dozens of private and public testing facilities have opened across Jacksonville allowing for more than 43,000 individuals in Duval County to be tested for COVID-19.

“Telescope Health and Baptist Health have demonstrated an invaluable commitment to the health and well-being of our citizens and community,” Mayor Lenny Curry said. “We are grateful for their partnership and assistance launching the first testing site at the onset of this pandemic and we value the expertise they are continuing to provide to help stop the spread of COVID-19.”

Both Baptist Health and Telescope Health will remain a part of the City of Jacksonville’s task force to provide medical counsel as our community reopens and we work collaboratively to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.

“We’re pleased that our joint-operations at Prime Osborn have inspired so many public testing sites across Northeast Florida,” said Dr. Matthew Rill, CEO of Telescope Health. “Getting tested is critical to keeping the rate of COVID-19 infections under control to ultimately find our way back to normalcy. Telescope Health will continue to work closely with the City of Jacksonville to determine meaningful next steps for our community as we navigate this health crisis.”

Telescope Health will offer virtual visits and testing orders for COVID-19 antibodies and return to work guidance through the Telescope Health app. Baptist Health’s urgent care partner, CareSpot, will continue to provide COVID-19 testing at 15 locations, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., 7 days a week.

In addition, the City of Jacksonville will be opening new locations throughout the community in the coming weeks to offer increased and convenient access to free COVID-19 testing. If you or someone you know needs to be tested for COVID-19, there are currently multiple sites available throughout our area. For information on testing closest to your location, testing criteria and more, visit coj.net/covid19testing.

This press release was produced by the City of Jacksonville. The views expressed here are the author’s own.