Walk-up COVID-19 testing is expanding in Florida.

Governor Ron DeSantis on Friday announced that two popular retail establishments would be getting testing sites.

"We're going to have three testing sites in parking lots at Home Depot and three testing sites in parking lots at Publix."

The governor, speaking from a Home Depot on Glades Road in Boca Raton, said the move would make it convenient for shoppers to slip out and get tested for the coronavirus before they head home.

While the testing site at the Home Depot where he was appearing was already up and running, he said details about the other locations would be forthcoming.

DeSantis says more than 40,000 tests have been conducted at walk-up sites across the state. He also talked about how the demand for drive-thru sites has subsided, but that those sites would remain open.

The governor says the new parking lot sites are all about convenience for shoppers who have no symptoms.

"So if you're shopping and you want to get a test, you have the ability (with) very easy access. We think that that's important as Florida continues to recover, that it's as accessible and as easy as possible for people."

Florida has the only mobile COVID-19 rapid testing lab on wheels in the country and DeSantis says it's receiving high accolades.

"For the space launch on Wednesday, the White House asked us 'could you test anyone that's going to be near the president?' So, Jared (Moskowitz) set it up. The White House physician was so impressed with it, they're going to recommend that every state do something like we did with outfitting this RV."

He didn't say whether the mobile lab would be back at the Kennedy Space Center on Saturday as SpaceX takes another shot at the scrubbed launch, though Pres. Trump has said that he will be there.

The Home Depot appearance was also used as a way to tout Florida's Sales Tax Holiday on Disaster Supplies, which is underway through next Thursday.

Emergency Management Director Jared Moskowitz was on hand to talk about steps the state has taken to prepare for Hurricane Season, which kicks off on Monday, while still dealing with the coronavirus pandemic.

He says they've been stocking up on PPE for shelters.

"We have 10 million masks in reserve for Hurricane Season. We have 5,000 thermometers, 5 million gloves, a million face shields and we went out and purchased 50 large capacity generators."

He says the state has also signed up 200 hotels to offer space as storm shelter for coronavirus victims or those considered high risk.

Florida News

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