They’re back, for now: How to get free home COVID tests at a Miami-Dade library

Miami-Dade County has received another batch of home COVID tests from the state and is handing them out Saturday at libraries across the county.

County workers started giving away 60,000 at-home tests at 7:30 a.m. at eight library branches, with a limit of two tests per household.

It’s the third large giveaway for Miami-Dade of tests provided by Florida’s Department of Health during the spike in COVID cases brought on by the omicron variant of the coronavirus. The last two brought high demand as residents quickly depleted the county supply.

“Most sites were done in five or six hours,” said Rachel Johnson, Miami-Dade’s communications director.

Miami-Dade giving out COVID tests, while supplies last

Saturday’s giveaway is offering another measure of the trajectory of the omicron wave in Miami-Dade, and of the rush by residents to get tested.

While hospitalizations hit new peaks this week, Miami-Dade is seeing less of a frenzy at more than 30 drive-through and walk-up testing sites.

Nomi Health, which runs the sites, said demand peaked Monday with about 70,000 tests administered after the holiday weekend. By midweek, sites were seeing about 8% less traffic than in the prior week, the company said.

In past giveaways, Miami-Dade distributed about 250,000 at-home tests, Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said in a press release Friday.

Miami-Dade expects heavy demand for the free tests, and police are warning drivers to prepare for traffic jams near libraries handing out the kits. “Please be cautious and patient,” the agency said in a statement, “as we expect traffic delays in these areas.”

Which libraries are giving away COVID tests?

Tests are going fast and most have already given out all of their supplies. Here’s what locations still are still distributing as of 2:05 p.m.:

▪ Miami Beach Regional Library, 227 22nd St., Miami Beach

▪ North Dade Regional Library, 2455 NW 183rd St., Miami Gardens

Distributions have ended at:

▪ Hispanic Branch Library, 1398 SW First St., Miami

▪ Naranja Branch Library, 14850 SW 280th St., Miami

▪ Kendale Lakes Branch Library, 15205 SW 88th St., Miami

▪ Miami Lakes Branch Library, 6699 Windmill Gate Rd., Miami Lakes

▪ Northeast Dade - Aventura Branch, 2930 Aventura Blvd., Aventura

▪ Westchester Regional Library, 9445 Coral Way, Miami

This story was originally published January 7, 2022 at 4:22 PM.