A COVID-19 testing site opened Wednesday in Miami Lakes and will see patients during the next 10 days.
Miami-Dade County Commissioner Esteban Bovo was at Miami Lakes United Methodist Church, the site of the pop-up clinic.
“We need to make sure more people are getting tested, especially rapid testing,” said Bovo.
Testing by South Florida Urgent Care Centers, which has three locations in Broward County, will happen at the church, 14800 Ludlam Road at Miami Lakes Drive.
Hours are 9 a.m. – 4 p.m., on Wednesday, Aug. 19; Friday, Aug. 21; Saturday, Aug. 22; Monday, Aug. 24, Tuesday, Aug. 25; Wednesday, Aug. 26; Friday, Aug. 28 and Saturday, Aug. 29, the company said.
Testing will not be done on Thursdays, when the church distributes food to hundreds of drivers who line up along the drive, or on Sundays when it holds services.
Bovo also said hello to his personal physician, Dr. Ausberto Hidalgo, who is medical director at South Florida Urgent Care Centers and organized the temporary clinic.
Hidalgo said he brought the clinic to Miami Lakes, where he was a long-time resident, at no cost to the town. Patients’ insurance will cover the clinic’s bills, he said.
Walk-in patients are welcomed but not encouraged, the company said.
Appointments will be taken at 954-442-8888.
The test is called a Rapid Test Cassette, which uses blood from a finger prick, the company said. It will indicate the presence of antibodies -- one type of protein that shows a person is infected or another type that indicates the person survived the virus.
Survivors will be encouraged to donate plasma to help those who are sick, the company said in a press statement.
Patients should bring insurance information, if available.
After being tested, patients can expect results within 15 minutes.