South Florida COVID test sites see long lines again. Here’s how you can navigate them
There’s high demand for COVID-19 testing in South Florida again as people prepare to travel for Christmas and New Year’s while concerns mount over the omicron variant — which is now the dominant strain in Miami-Dade.
At Tropical Park’s drive-through COVID test site, which is open 24 hours daily, the line of cars has spilled onto Bird Road in recent days as people wait hours to get tested. Demand is also high in Broward County. Pembroke Pines police on Tuesday made a post warning people to expect traffic and delays if traveling to or near C.B. Smith Park, which has a testing, vaccine and monoclonal antibody site.
Of course, there are other COVID test and vaccine sites you can visit in South Florida, including Zoo Miami’s drive-through site and walk-up sites such as the Salvation Army at 911 West Flagler Street and the Joseph Caleb Center at 5400 Northwest 22nd Avenue. Select CVS and Walgreens have testing, too.
For travelers, it might be more convenient to get tested at Miami International Airport and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. However, unlike at county-run or health department-run sites, tests at the airport cost money.
South Florida COVID Testing Tips
Here are some tips to help make testing easier:
▪ Make an appointment. While most places accept walk-ins, appointments are still recommended. Appointments don’t let you skip the line. However, it should make the process quicker since you don’t have to fill out the registration form on-site.
▪ Check to see if the test site you want is open. Some popular sites like the one at Hard Rock Stadium are no longer open. Other sites may also have different hours of operations or will be closed during the holidays.
▪ Plan to arrive early, and use the bathroom before you go. Leave your house with some extra time to make sure you don’t get stuck in a traffic jam. And given the expected long waits, it might not be a bad idea to have water and something to munch on while you wait.
▪ Ask people you know where they got tested. We’ve been stuck in the pandemic for more than a year. You must know people who got tested recently. Ask them about where they went and what time they arrived. What was the line like? This could help you figure out where you want to go.
▪ Don’t visit a popular COVID testing site. Everyone knows about the testing site at Tropical Park and at C.B. Smith Park. Look through Miami-Dade and Broward’s online COVID test site locator for alternatives. Drive-through sites usually draw larger crowds than walk-up sites.
▪ Look for COVID testing sites near your home. This way you’ll be able to visit another site if your first choice has a long line. Plus, you’ll be able to pass by through the day and see if the line is shorter in the morning or the afternoon.
▪ Check with your school for testing options. Faculty, staff and students at Florida International University and University of Miami, for example, will likely see less wait time at their university-specific test sites. There are also several K-12 student-only testing sites in Broward County. However, keep in mind that some of these sites may be closed during the holidays.
▪ Check out COVID sites in neighboring counties. Maybe you live in Miami-Dade and work in Broward or just spend a lot of time there or vice versa. Look for sites in the area. Remember, you can get tested in any Florida county. (Florida has a statewide testing locator you can use).
▪ Make sure you know if the site is drive-through. If it is, you’ll want to fill up your tank with gas. The last thing you want to worry about is your gas needle falling on empty when you’re almost about to get your nose swabbed. If it’s a walk-up site, you might want to take a hat, maybe some water and an umbrella for the occasional showers. Depending on when you go, you also might need a light sweater. It’s expected to get chilly this week, at least by South Florida standards.
▪ Ask your doctor or clinic if they do testing. Check with pharmacies, too. It might be a quicker alternative. Just keep in mind that unlike county-run and health-department run sites, some places might charge a fee for testing.
▪ Consider an at-home COVID test. While the tests can be pricey, the convenience of doing it at home without waiting hours in line might be worth the cost. At-home COVID tests can be purchased through select retailers, including Walmart, CVS, Target and Walgreens. The Biden administration is also planning to offer free at-home rapid COVID tests starting in January to families who request it through a website.
This story was originally published December 21, 2021 at 4:20 PM.
