Number Of People Anxious To Be Tested For Coronavirus Continues To Climb
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – As coronavirus case numbers mount in South Florida, the number of people anxious to be tested is rising.
On Monday, there was a long line at Hard Rock Stadium. The same story at Larkin Hospital in Hialeah and at Marlins Park in Miami and at the convention center on Miami Beach.
In Broward there was a moderate line at the walk up testing site at Mitchell Moore Park in Pompano Beach. The average wait time was two to three hours, according to people tested.
Haley Capinello, her 20-month-old daughter and her mother all had the test done at Mitchell Moore Park.
"Someone we knew tested positive. We were exposed to them so better safe than sorry," said Capinello
As thousands get tested every day in South Florida, the number of people who are positive varies.
In Miami-Dade, the county's most recent data shows a 28.1% positivity rate.
That means more than a quarter of people being tested are positive.
It's lower in Broward, where the latest state numbers show the county has a 13.8% positivity rate.
CBS4 talked to Ashley Peas, who was getting tested in Pompano Beach.
"I'm going to see my brother in Texas. He's older than I am so I thought I should get tested," he said.
Peas was told his test results would be available in three days. But he said last time he was tested at Holiday Park in Fort Lauderdale it took a month to get results.
Others in South Florida report it taking a week to 10 days to get results back.
"Testing is at a premium. The reagent which is needed to do the test is in short supply," said Dr. Stanley Marks, the chief medical officer for Memorial's Healthcare System in Broward.
He's urging People who want a test to not go to an emergency room.
"It's taking the place of someone who is sick," he said.
He recommends going to a testing site where you need to make an appointment in advance.
In general, he said the time is honored.
