You’re searching for a rapid COVID test? Here’s where to find one in South Florida
We like things fast. Our home deliveries. Our car repairs. Our food.
And our COVID tests.
Maybe you’re traveling. Maybe you need to go to work. Maybe you’re seeing a loved one at a nursing center or friends or family for some simple socialization, and need to know now if it’s safe to visit or fly.
So you need a quick answer.
Well, here’s a quick guide to the tests and to the testing sites in South Florida.
Difference between rapid antigen, PCR COVID-19 tests
Both COVID tests analyze nasal or saliva samples, but the PRC and rapid antigen tests differ in how they are processed and the accuracy.
▪ PCR tests are nearly 100% accurate, but there is a risk for false positives, according to a recent study by Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine published Dec. 1 in the journal Microbiology Spectrum.
PCR tests can take more than an hour to process samples by skilled lab technicians using specialized equipment. In some cases, you can get results in a day, which isn’t far off the rapid test. But more likely, it’s a couple to a few days.
The new research suggests the rapid antigen tests are proving more accurate than initially believed and gaining ground.
▪ Rapid antigen tests accurately detected coronavirus samples in 87% of patients with symptoms and 71% of those without symptoms, according to the study of more than 6,000 people at the Baltimore Convention Center Field Hospital in Maryland.
Rapid antigen tests come in pre-made kits and can offer results within 15 minutes. They may be less sensitive to the new omicron strain, some experts, like the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, said recently.
According to reporting by McClatchy News, in general, “rapid antigen tests will detect higher levels of the coronavirus, meaning a positive test result may reveal a person is very contagious, experts say. But they do have higher rates of false negatives than the more accurate PCR tests, which are more sensitive and catch lower levels of coronavirus in people. Dr. Robert Shmerling, an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School in Boston, wrote this comparative finding in a Harvard blog post.
“When a person is symptomatic or has a lot of virus in their system, antigen tests are very accurate,” molecular biologist Nate Hafer wrote for The Conversation, published by UMass Chan Medical School in Massachusetts. “However, unlike molecular PCR tests, antigen tests don’t amplify the thing they are looking for. This means there needs to be enough viral antigen in the sample for the antibodies on the test strip to generate a signal.
“When a person is in the early stages of infection, not a lot of virus is in the nose and throat, from which the samples are taken. So, antigen tests can miss early cases of COVID-19. It’s also during this stage that a person has no symptoms, so they are more likely to be unaware they’re infected,” Hafer wrote.
Here’s a listing of sites in Miami-Dade and Broward where you can get a rapid antigen test. We’ll also note whether a PCR test is also offered, should you change your mind and opt for the latter.
Many private companies are also offering COVID tests but the Miami Herald can’t vouch for every private firm so the list concentrates on county sites.
Miami-Dade drive-thru rapid test sites
These sites are drive-thru. All accept walk-ins, unless noted. To pre-register, visit Miami-Dade’s online COVID-19 test locator. Testing is free or covered by insurance unless otherwise noted.
▪ Jose Marti Park, 351 SW Fourth Ave. in Miami. Offers antigen rapid test and also PCR nasal swab test. Open Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
▪ Miami Marine Stadium, 3501 Rickenbacker Causeway in Miami. Offers antigen rapid test and also PCR nasal swab test. Open daily from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
▪ Dan Paul Plaza behind FTX Arena, 400 NE Eighth St. in downtown Miami. This site is drive-thru and walk-up (wait standing in line). Offers antigen rapid test daily from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Temporarily offering PCR nasal swab tests around the clock. This site will stop 24-hour service at 8 p.m. Jan. 13. This site is also closed when a game, concert or event is scheduled at FTX Arena.
▪ Suniland Park, 12855 Pinecrest Pkwy. in Pinecrest. Offers antigen rapid test and antibody test, also PCR nasal swab test. Open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. Unlike other test sites, there is a fee to get tested here. Appointments are also required. Visit milo.care/pinecrestvaccine for info.
▪ Amelia Earhart Park, 401 E. 65th St. in Hialeah. Offers antigen rapid test and PCR nasal swab test. Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
▪ South Dade Government Center, 10710 SW 211th St. Offers antigen rapid test and PCR nasal swab test. This site is open 24 hours daily. If you want an antigen rapid test, it’s only available between 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
▪ Tropical Park, 7900 SW 40th St. Offers antigen rapid test and PCR nasal swab test. This site is open 24 hours daily. If you want an antigen rapid test, it’s only available between between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m.
▪ Miami Dade College North campus, 11380 NW 27th Ave. near Opa-locka. Offers antigen rapid test and PCR nasal swab test. Open daily 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
▪ Zoo Miami, 12400 SW 152nd St. Offers antigen rapid test and PCR nasal swab test. This site is open 24 hours daily.
▪ Homestead Air Reserve Park, 12200 SW 268th St. Offers antigen rapid test and PCR nasal swab test. Open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Miami-Dade walk-up rapid test sites
These sites are walk-up, which mean you wait standing in line instead of in your car. All accept walk-ins, unless noted. To pre-register, visit Miami-Dade’s online COVID-19 test locator. Testing is free or covered by insurance, unless otherwise noted.
▪ Jose Marti Park, 351 SW Fourth Ave. in Miami. Offers antigen rapid test and PCR nasal swab test. Open Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
▪ Miami Marine Stadium, 3501 Rickenbacker Causeway in Miami. Offers antigen rapid test PCR nasal swab. Open daily from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
▪ Tropical Everglades Visitor Center, 160 SE First Ave. in Florida City. Offers antigen rapid test and PCR nasal swab test. Open Tuesday through Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. This is a mobile test site (it’s a van).
▪ Dan Paul Plaza behind FTX Arena, 400 NE Eighth St. in downtown Miami. This site is drive-thru and walk-up (wait standing in line). Offers antigen rapid test daily from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Also, temporarily offering PCR nasal swab tests around the clock. This site will stop 24-hour service Jan. 13 at 8 p.m. This site is also closed when a game, concert or event is scheduled at the FTX Arena.
▪ Harris Field, 675 N. Homestead Blvd. in Homestead. Offers antigen rapid test and PCR nasal swab test. Open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
▪ Aventura Mall, 19575 Biscayne Blvd. Offers antigen rapid tests daily between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. Also, PCR nasal swab tests daily from 9 a.m. to midnight. This site is on the ground floor of the parking garage near JCPenney, closest to Biscayne Boulevard and 199th St. You cannot access this site from inside the mall.
▪ Salvation Army, 911 W. Flagler St. in Little Havana. Offers antigen rapid test and PCR nasal swab test. Open 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Saturday.
▪ Hialeah Gardens Branch Library, 13451 NW 107th Ave. Offers antigen rapid test and also PCR nasal swab test. Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. This is a mobile test site (it’s a van).
▪ Cagni Park, 13498 NE Eighth Ave. in North Miami. Offers antigen rapid test and also PCR nasal swab test. Open 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Sunday. This is a mobile test site (it’s a van).
▪ Dolphin Mall, 11401 NW 12th St. in Sweetwater. Offers antigen rapid test and also PCR nasal swab test. Open daily from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. This mobile testing van is in the parking lot by the entrance on Northwest 111th Avenue and 14th Street.
▪ Consulate General of Mexico, 1399 SW First Ave. in Brickell. Offers antigen rapid test and also PCR nasal swab test. Open Fridays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. This is a mobile test site (it’s a van).
▪ Consulate General of Colombia, 280 Aragon Ave. in Coral Gables. Offers antigen rapid test and also PCR nasal swab test. Open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Mondays.
Miami-Dade 24-hour rapid test sites
All accept walk-ins, unless noted. To pre-register, visit Miami-Dade’s online COVID-19 test locator. Testing is free or covered by insurance, unless otherwise noted.
▪ Tropical Park, 7900 SW 40th St. Drive-thru site. Offers antigen rapid test and PCR nasal swab test.
▪ Dan Paul Plaza behind FTX Arena, 400 NE Eighth St. in downtown Miami. This site is drive-thru and walk-up (wait standing in line). Offers antigen rapid test daily from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Also, temporarily offering PCR nasal swab tests around the clock. This site will stop 24-hour service at 8 p.m. Jan. 13. This site is also closed when a game, concert or event is scheduled at FTX Arena.
▪ South Dade Government Center, 10710 SW 211th St. Drive-thru site. Offers antigen rapid test and PCR nasal swab test. This site is open 24 hours daily. If you want an antigen rapid test, it’s only available between 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
▪ Zoo Miami, 12400 SW 152nd St. Drive-thru site. Offers antigen rapid test and PCR nasal swab test.
▪ Miami International Airport has a 24-hour testing site for walk-in at Concourse E ground level median in front of Door 11. This site is walk-up, which means you wait standing in line instead of in your car. The site offers antigen and rapid PCR tests. Unlike at county-run sites, testing at the airport comes with a fee. For testing costs or to pre-register, visit the Family Rehab, Inc. website or call 305-869-1161.
Broward drive-thru rapid test sites
For testing hours, visit Broward’s online test locator, unless otherwise noted.
▪ Margate Community Redevelopment Agency, 5701 Margate Blvd. in Margate. Site offers free nasal swab rapid antigen test and/or free nasopharyngeal PCR (nasal swab) test, pending availability. No appointments, walk-in only.
▪ Snyder Park, 3299 SW Fourth Ave. in Fort Lauderdale. Offers free PCR or rapid testing, pending availability. This site is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. No appointments, walk-in only. For more info, visit fortlauderdale.gov.
▪ Tamarac Sports Complex, 9901 NW 77th St., in Tamarac. Offers free nasal swab rapid antigen test or free nasopharyngeal PCR (nasal swab) test, pending availability. No appointments, walk-in only.
▪ Vernon E. Hargray Youth Enrichment Center, 7000 Miramar Pkwy., in Miramar. Opens Jan. 6. Offers free rapid testing and PCR test. The site is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. The last car will be allowed to join the line at 3:30 p.m. daily and no appointments are required. (Your insurance will be billed for the services. If you don’t have insurance, federally available programs will be billed, according to Margate.) Pre-registration is available at www.PatientPortalFL.com.
Broward walk-up test sites
For testing hours, visit Broward’s online locator.
▪ Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. This site is only for people who can show proof of travel plans to or from FLL on any airline. The testing site is located in Terminal 3, pre-security, on the lower level near the baggage claim. The site is open 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. There is a fee for testing at the airport. To schedule an appointment, visit Nomi Health’s FLL weblink. Walk-ups may be accepted if no one with an appointment is waiting.
▪ Snyder Park, 3299 SW Fourth Ave. in Fort Lauderdale. Offers free PCR or rapid testing, pending availability. This site is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more info, visit fortlauderdale.gov.
▪ Miramar Fire Station 107, 11811 Miramar Pkwy. in Miramar. Offers antibody, rapid antigen and PCR testing. Open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. Appointment required at www.SolvHealth.com.
Broward K-12 students rapid test sites
These sites are for K-12 students only and are walk-up, which mean you wait standing in line, instead of in your car. None of the sites listed below take appointments, so just show up and wait. The sites offer free rapid molecular nasal swab testing, with results available in about 30 minutes. Testing is free or covered by insurance. For hours of operations, visit Broward’s COVID-19 online test locator.
▪ Paul Hughes Health Center, 205 NW Sixth Ave. in Pompano Beach.
▪ Plantation Heritage Park Fountain Room, 1100 S. Fig Tree Ln. in Plantation.
▪ South Regional Health Center, 4105 Pembroke Rd. in Hollywood.
Rapid tests at stores
Pharmacies and retailers like Walgreens, CVS, Amazon, Walmart and Target sell at-home rapid test kits. But given the run on demand amid the omicron surge they may be sold out or have purchase limits.
In addition, WebMD reported on Dec. 30, that rapid COVID-19 tests used at home may be less sensitive to the omicron variant than they are to other strains of the virus and sometimes delivered false negatives, according to findings by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Dec. 28.
The FDA did not recommend people stop using the home tests, however.
This list may be updated as new sites are added.
This story was originally published January 5, 2022 at 6:00 AM.
