Jacksonville residents brave heat and long wait times for COVID-19 tests

Jacksonville residents brave vigor and agelong hold times for COVID-19 tests

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jacksonville residents lined up for hours extracurricular the Department of Health’s Springfield installation Friday contempt scorching temperatures, saying they had nary choice: they request to get tested for COVID-19.

Ann Mercado and her 14-year-old son, Phillip, were among those waiting for tests. They told News4Jax with infections and hospitalizations surging successful Duval County and passim Florida, they wanted answers lone a laboratory trial could provide.

“So galore radical are getting, like, much sick and I’m beauteous scared, you know, to beryllium honest,” Phillip Mercado said.

Like galore others waiting successful enactment successful the sweltering heat, the 14-year-old lad has not yet been vaccinated against COVID-19. But fixed the caller emergence successful the fig of cases, helium said he’s present readying to get the vaccine.

The Duval County Health Department’s Central Health Plaza astatine 515 West 6th St. successful Springfield is 1 of a fewer sites successful the metropolis wherever radical tin get tested for free. Some radical were conscionable hoping for bid of mind.

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Another time of agelong investigating lines successful Jacksonville.

Agape Family Health, a nonprofit wellness center, besides offers publically funded investigating astatine assorted times and locations during the week. Friday, the hold clip astatine its Dunn Avenue investigating tract was long, but radical stayed chill portion waiting successful their cars.

Mia Jones, main enforcement serviceman for Agape Community Health Center, said the nonprofit has performed up to 300 tests a day. But she sees a request to grow testing, saying they could unfastened much sites and bash much investigating with much funding.

The nonprofit hasn’t seen immoderate backing increases yet. Gov. Ron DeSantis said Friday the authorities has nary plans to reopen investigating sites due to the fact that galore pharmacies connection testing. News4Jax recovered astir pharmacies necessitate appointments for tests.

Jones said that request could contiguous a problem, particularly fixed however rapidly COVID-19 tin dispersed if undetected.

“When you commencement to speech astir the backstage companies, they are astir apt not capable to get you successful the aforesaid day,” she said. “So you person radical having to hold 3-4 days. If it’s a concern wherever you’ve been successful interaction with idiosyncratic (with COVID), you request to beryllium capable to get tested that day, oregon arsenic soon arsenic possible.”

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State Rep. Angie Nixon, D-Jacksonville, said the politician should revisit his presumption connected nationalist investigating sites.

“We are getting slammed, peculiarly successful Duval County,” Nixon told News4Jax. “The numbers are rising and it’s up to our administration, our governor’s office, to bash his job. He needs to measurement it up a notch and guarantee the wellness and information of the residents crossed the authorities of Florida.”

That was the feeling among immoderate of those lined up Friday day successful Springfield, who fearfulness things volition lone get worse.

News4Jax has been asking Mayor Lenny Curry and members of the Jacksonville City Council astir opening further investigating sites for residents. The wellness section is acceptable to supply an update to a Council committee connected Monday.

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