/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/GWNLPV2UTFFZPF7XOYIA4ZGQO4.jpg "Motorists wait in line in parking lot 2 at Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, Monday, June 29, 2020 for a Coronavirus test. BayCare administered the tests.")
Friday is the last day to get tested for COVID-19 at Tropicana Field and Gulf High School in Port Richey.
BayCare Health Systems, which has operated different drive-thru sites for COVID-19 testing since March, announced Thursday afternoon it would close the two sites “to align resources with community need and further collaborate with government partners,” according to a statement.
The state along with local partners set up a drive-thru test site at the Duke Energy for the Arts Mahaffey Theater earlier this month. No insurance information or doctor’s referral is required.
BayCare officials said neither the Mahaffey nor the Trop site have experienced full capacity since both have been operating the past three weeks. They plan to open an additional drive-thru site with closer access for central and north Pinellas residents, but did not share additional details in Thursday’s statement.
“The beauty of the drive-thru testing model is that it can be nimble and it can respond when conditions shift,” Jim Cote, senior vice president for BayCare Ambulatory Services, said in a statement. “With other COVID testing options now available in St. Petersburg, we are moving to make sure others in our community have access as well.”
BayCare will partner with the Florida Department of Health in Pasco County to open a new test site Monday at Gulf View Square mall, located at 9409 U.S. Highway 19 in Port Richey. Hours of service will be Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 11 a.m.
In order to get tested at a BayCare site, people must be symptomatic or have a doctor’s referral.
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