Rush Is On To Get COVID-19 Testing Kits; Thousands Distributed Ahead Of New Year's Eve
MIAMI (CBSMiami) - Broward County is distributing thousands of COVID-19 tests ahead of New Year's Eve.
On Thursday, nine libraries throughout the county set up service lanes to help the process flow a little quicker.
"It was kind of scary, thankfully, I'm vaccinated but still scary because we couldn't get anything anywhere," said Miramar resident Johanna Botello whose has had a hard time finding a COVID-19 testing option in recent weeks and she's not alone.
"This was the third place that I went to today I stood in line at another library, I forget the name, and they just got up to me and they said sorry they ran out of tests, and I said oh my God," added Carmen, another Miramar resident.
For more than a week finding at home COVID kits has been difficult with most locations out of stock.
City of Miramar Mayor Wayne Messam says that left many other South Floridians with limited COVID testing options.
"The issue is that the lack of the availability of these home testing kits and the very long lines at covid testing sites," added Messam
But Broward County received thousands of kits and Thursday began distributing them to residents nine area libraries
"Countywide in the libraries we distributed about 40,000 a day and will be doing it again tomorrow," said Devon Holland with Broward County Library System.
And while most of the nine locations ran out early Thursday, the city of Miramar had free at home COVID testing kits until the scheduled 6 p.m. end time.
"We're grateful to see the residents be able to determine their status at home in the convenience fashion and I'm just glad we're able to get a couple of kits home to folks so they can know their status, so they can be able to basically comply with new CDC guidelines," added Missam.
And those who received them say they couldn't be happier.
"It gives us a sense of comfort. I have parents who are in their 80s and even before this episode I always test myself more than once just to make sure I don't run the risk of infecting them," added Miramar resident Adrea Pelt-Thornton.
Botello agrees, "With the increase of the numbers and right now we are staying home so we want to make sure we're safe."
