Miami-Dade turns Zoo Miami into a 24-hour COVID test site and opens two more
Miami-Dade County has turned Zoo Miami into a 24-hour testing site to help meet the demand for tests during the holiday stretch. The zoo itself is still open for visitors. The testing site is in a parking lot.
The county also has opened two other sites. People can now get tested again at the Youth Fairgrounds at Tamiami Park, 10901 SW 24th St. The popular drive-thru test site, which had been temporarily closed, is open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily.
And Dolphin Station Park & Ride, 11897 NW 12th St., a new drive-thru site, is open every day from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Zoo Miami, 12400 SW 152nd St.,joins Tropical Park and the South Dade Government Center as 24-hour drive-thru testing sites. Another test site at the Dan Paul Plaza behind FTX Arena in downtown Miami will temporarily turn into a 24-hour drive-thru and walk-up site starting Wednesday until 1 p.m. Friday. Miami International Airport also has one test site that is open around the clock, but unlike county-run sites, the airport site charges fees.
“We are working around the clock to make sure Miami-Dade residents have access to testing to protect themselves and their loved ones during the holiday season,” Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said in a statement. “Our residents are doing the right thing by getting tested if they were exposed, have symptoms, or to take extra precautions during the holidays, and that’s why we are doing everything we can to expand access to testing countywide.”
Miami-Dade’s decision to open more testing sites and extend testing hours comes as Florida sees a surge of COVID-19 cases during the holiday season, with the highly contagious omicron variant now the dominant strain the U.S. Hours-long lines are at COVID test sites again, with retail pharmacies including CVS and Walgreens putting purchase limits on at-home test kits, which are in such high demand they’re often sold out.
The county has also distributed 152,000 free at-home test kits over two days through its public libraries to help meet demand, and is working to get additional kits to give out.
To find a test site near you, visit Miami-Dade’s County online COVID-19 test locator.
This story was originally published December 28, 2021 at 12:28 PM.