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Florida continues to see positive infection rates below 10%
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Florida reported its lowest number of new COVID-19 cases in two months Monday, continuing a downward trend that offers some hope in the state’s fight against the disease.
During the virtual Democratic National Convention tonight, New York governor Andrew Cuomo had the temerity to tell a national audience that, “Our way worked. And it was beautiful.”
The shameless and vulgar self-aggrandizing — which he’s only able to get away with because of criminal lack of media scrutiny — didn’t end there, as Cuomo went on to say idiotic things like, “in many ways, COVID is just a metaphor” and “COVID is the symptom, not the illness.”
It’s important to keep reminding Americans that there is no leader in the United States — or anywhere in the free world, for that matter — who did a worse job preserving life than the governor of New York. Cuomo was late to enact preventative measure and also downplayed the virus, just like the president he criticizes. I can’t think of a single instance in American political history when exhibiting this level of deadly incompetence has been given a pass. The illness, not the metaphor, killed 35,000 New Yorkers. It was Cuomo’s personal mistake, an executive order forcing nursing homes in his state to accept patients who tested positive for the coronavirus in March, that sent thousands to their deaths. The Associated Press puts the real number of nursing home deaths close to 11,000 — more than the total fatality count in any state other than New Jersey.
“Beautiful,” indeed.
New numbers from the Florida Department of Health provide a welcome reprieve from the devastating rates of coronavirus infections the Sunshine State has recorded over the summer. The state is now showing its lowest number of new cases since June.
The Miami Herald reported Sunday that Florida had 3,779 new cases, 900 of which came from Miami-Dade County. These figures are the lowest both the state and the county have seen since June 21.
Another major clinical trial is underway in the global race for a COVID-19 vaccine — with researchers this time planning to pay participants hundreds of dollars in Palm Beach County.
The experimental vaccine, called AZD1222, was developed by AstraZeneca in conjunction with the University of Oxford. The drug arrived Monday morning to the campus of the JFK Medical Center in Atlantis, and the first 10 patients for the study will start the process Tuesday morning. The vaccine is one of just five that are in the crucial stage of Phase 3 testing, according to Dr. Larry Bush, lead immunologist on the trial.
The study, conducted by JEM Research Institute, is the latest in a number of trials underway across South Florida.
Noting the recent drop in the daily tally of COVID-19 cases, Tegnell observed on August 9, "Exactly why this happened at that time and why it was so quick and sudden, is difficult for us to understand." Tegnell acknowledges that the results of antibody blood tests do not find that enough Swedes have been infected and recovered to confer herd immunity as would be conventionally expected by epidemiologists.
So what could explain the "quick and sudden" drop in Sweden's COVID-19 case and death rates? This is very speculative, but Swedish public health authorities may have accidentally blundered into herd immunity through a combination of previously unsuspected extensive pre-existing T-cell immunity to the coronavirus and differential risks of infection due to social interaction variations among its people.
First let's look at T-cell immunity. Recent research suggests that people who have been infected with the milder coronaviruses that cause the common cold also have developed some immunity to the COVID-19 virus.
The latest reports from the Florida Department of health show that for the second consecutive day the COVID positive test rate is below 8%.
The numbers for August 15 show that 7.73% of 50,486 tests were positive. The August 14 update reported a 7.69% positive rate with 96,000 tests.
The chart below shows the 7-day average of the Florida COVID positive test rate has been trending down since a 15.44% rate on July 8, 2020. After the peak, the 7-day average has fallen to 9.13% as reported on August 15th.
The current COVID hospitalizations are following a similar trend with the peak occurring around July 20th.
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COViD-19 by the numbers | COVID -19 Fatalities
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ICUs and hospital beds by the numbers | Current as of 8/14/2020
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21.1%
% of ICU Beds Available Statewide
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42.58% % of Pediatric ICU Beds Available Statewide
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25.59% % of Available Hospital Beds Statewide
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An Amazing Story - Please Check it Out
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Download any of these social media graphics below for your personal, business, or agency use.
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Florida education commissioner: Be ‘surgical, not sweeping’ in virus handling in schools GOOD NEWS: Church comes through with 300 stuffed backpacks
About $2,000 and 300 stuffed backpacks recently were collected by a Jacksonville church to benefit children needing school supplies. The Arlington congregation of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints put out a call for donations several weeks ago with a goal of filling 200 backpacks.
Project organizers at the church were unsure whether they would have the support necessary to pull off such a large-scale project given the circumstances of the economy and the pandemic. The church has not conducted services since late March, relying on social media and emails to get the word out about the project.
John Thomas, who serves as the bishop of the congregation, has seen a remarkable history of service for this group, especially in times of need.
“Our members are incredible and I feel so grateful for their generosity to those in our community,” he said. “Efforts like these have a positive impact for area families.”
Thomas, along with a small group of volunteers, plan to distribute the backpacks this week at six area Title 1 schools before classes begin Aug. 20.
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Department of Children and Families
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DCF’s First-Ever Virtual Child Protection Summit
This year, the Department of Children and Families will host the first-ever virtual Child Protection Summit! As Florida continues to follow health and safety guidelines implemented in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, DCF is providing a unique training and education opportunity to more than 3,200 child welfare professionals, advocates, and partners from across the state.
The 2020 Child Protection Summit, held August 31 through September 3, will allow Florida’s child welfare system to gather together, learn best practices, and strengthen skills to keep the workforce resilient, children safe, and families strong. Although the event won’t be in-person, the Summit will still be an informative experience with over 100 presenters and more than 70 engaging workshops to help attendees grow both personally and professionally.
This is a new, exciting new experience that is sure to be beneficial for all attendees, allowing them to better serve Florida’s children and families moving forward.
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Department of Emergency Management
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Additional COVID-19 testing options available in Jackson County
Jackson County officials want residents to know of another option for COVID-19 testing.
The Florida Department of Emergency Management has a walk-up testing site at the Dollar General on Lafayette Street in Marianna.
Officials say the site is open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and can test anyone 18 and older regardless of symptoms.
Jackson County officials believe the site isn't being used as much as they thought and they want locals to know the option is available.
"In order for us to keep the site, we need to justify it with the numbers. We're really trying to raise awareness on where it's located, the hours, and to try to get people to start utilizing it," said County Administrator for Jackson County Wilanne Daniels.
For more information on the site click here.
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Air Force announces F-35s are finally coming to Jacksonville
The U.S. Air Force on Friday announced Friday it has awarded the Air National Guard base in Jacksonville with the next round of new jet fighters to replace its fleet of aging F-15Cs. An airbase in Portland, Oregon, also was awarded the new aircraft.
The first F-35s are expected to begin arriving in Jacksonville in 2024.
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Agency for Persons with Disabilities
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Another 3,000 Jacksonville seniors, residents with disabilities to receive $300
There will be a second round of stimulus payments for Jacksonville seniors and residents with disabilities, the city announced Monday.
The city said phase two of the Senior and Disabled Financial Assistance Program will begin at 8 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 29.
As part of the program, the city will make a one-time payment of $300 to 3,000 to qualifying residents who are at least 72 years old or receive Social Security disability benefits Only applications submitted by phone or online will be accepted, and the payments will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. Applicants must meet the following requirements:
Applicants must reside in Duval County.
Applicants must certify that they did not receive funds from the City’s VyStar Small Business Assistance Program; Employee Retention Loan Program; Mortgage, Rent and Utilities Relief Program; or the first round of the Senior and Disabled Financial Assistance Program.
Applicants must either be at least 72 years old or receive Social Security disability benefits.
Applicants must have experienced either a reduction in income or an increase in expenses due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Applicants’ adjusted gross income did not exceed $30,000 in 2019.
Applicants may only receive one card per household.
Applicants must provide their birthdate and the last four digits of their Social Security number.
After the applications are reviewed for completeness and accuracy, payment cards will be mailed directly to homes. Those who receive a payment card will then need to call the customer service number provided with the card to activate it. Payment cards must be used like a credit card. Cash back from an ATM or a register is not available.
Those interested in participating in the program are strongly encouraged to create a MyJax account at myjax.custhelp.com and follow the link for the Senior and Disabled Financial Assistance Program” before applying. The same website and account will be used for the online application process.
While residents may create a MyJax account immediately, the application process will not begin until 8 a.m. Aug. 29. Residents may also call 904-255-8888 for assistance with their application over the phone starting at 8 a.m. Aug. 29.
During the first round of the program in June, all 3,300 spots were claimed in less than an hour after enrollment began.
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Florida Department of Law Enforcement
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Matt Walsh, Florida Department of Law Enforcement
The last few weeks have placed law enforcement in the crosshairs of legal and political pundits. When most enter our noble profession and sit in front of their first oral board, they hear a familiar question: “Why do you want to become a police officer?” Stereotypical answers I have heard include “To drive fast” and “To get in high-speed chases.” But I suggest that if we were able to see the thousands of answers given during these interviews the majority would be: “To serve,” “To make a difference,” “To help others.”
For most law enforcement officers, our “why” is to live a life of service to others at the cost of our own well-being. Although it is reported through evidence-based research that our lifespan is shorter than that of the average citizen, we continue to choose this life.
Renowned police psychologist Dr. Ellen Scrivener testified in front of Congress that the average law enforcement officer sees and experiences more human tragedy and despair in the first three years of their career than the average citizen experiences in a lifetime. The emotional weight we carry during our careers can seem insurmountable.
We can experience three types of injuries during our career: physical, emotional and moral/spiritual:
Physical injuries are often the easiest to describe and observe.
Emotional injuries can be harder to detect and can be described as PTSD or some other psychological illness.
Moral/spiritual injuries are the most difficult to identify because they often present as helplessness and hopelessness.
Questioning your “why” often manifests into negative thoughts and beliefs. An example of such thoughts may be, “I can’t do my job right now because I will be charged for serving my community with integrity.” It is important to note that questioning your why is a normal reaction to events. However, ruminating on negative thoughts can damage your psychological and physical health.
How do we counteract questioning our why with associated feelings of helplessness and hopelessness? Maintaining healthy habits such as exercising, reading, writing and other hobbies provide a needed distraction from those thoughts and beliefs.
To help remember my why, I often turn to a passage about integrity in “Beyond the Badge, A Spiritual Survival Guide for Cops and Their Families” authored by retired NYPD Lt. Charles Ferrara:
Integrity encompasses a wide range of behaviors. It is not merely rejecting a bribe or resisting taking something that doesn’t belong to you. It is being obedient to your supervisors. It is honoring and respecting others and their property. It is telling the honest truth and not distorting or embellishing the facts. It is having the reputation of being dependable. It is being punctual and prepared. It is being loyal to those you have promised to be loyal to. It is being moral in all situations. It is practicing fairness in dealing with others. It is being humble and not thinking of yourself more highly than you ought. It is being decisive and making those decisions based on what is right, rather than what is popular and easy. It is maintaining self-control by keeping your thoughts, words, deeds, and attitude under a moral code. It is being courageous in the face of difficult or unpopular circumstances.”
I would guess that your why doesn't include receiving praise and flattery from the community, the attorneys, your supervisors or the media. Your why is why YOU serve and protect. We are experiencing times that we may not have thought were possible, but I assure you that our great profession has been the target of hostility in the past and will be in the future.
For now, remember your why and continue to serve with honor and integrity.
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Department of The Lottery
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Florida man wins $10 million on Quick Pick ticket purchased at Publix
MIAMI - A 66-year-old Florida man is $10 million richer after winning the FLORIDA LOTTO jackpot from a drawing held on July 18.
Reinaldo Leon, of Miami, bought the ticket from the Publix at 16800 North Kendall Drive. The winning ticket was a Quick Pick.
He chose to receive his winnings as a one-time, lump sum payment of $8,578,753. The store will receive $95,000 as a bonus commission for selling the winning jackpot ticket.
The next drawing will be Wednesday, August 19, at 11:15 p.m. with a $1.5 million jackpot
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Florida Department of Veterans Affairs
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Connecting Florida Veterans with Earned Benefits
Connecting veterans with earned benefits, services and support is the top priority of Florida's teleworking veterans' claims examiners. For example, Angela Choice, a supervisor claims examiner from the Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs in West Palm Beach, assisted a veteran who returned home from the hospital due to COVID-19. The veteran requested information on what care the VA would provide his spouse, who uses a wheelchair to assist with mobility. The veteran was happy that Ms. Choice was available to provide the information.
For assistance on any veteran-related issue, call (727) 319-7440 and they'll return your call within 24 hours. You may also email them at VSO@fdva.state.fl.us
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Florida Department of Economic Opportunity
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HUD approves Florida’s action plan to help counties impacted by Hurricane Michael
This week, HUD approved Florida’s action plan for more than $735 million dollars to help counties impacted by Hurricane Michael with recovery efforts and local city and county officials are chomping at the bit to use the money to rebuild and revitalize their communities.
“What the cities and the counties are doing is making sure our projects are ready as soon as that portal application process is open will have our projects prioritize and submitted,” said Bay County Assistant County Manager Joel Schubert.
Local government officials say this money is a part of the Disaster Recovery Relief Package approved by congress last year. Bay County officials say the money will be used for their long-term recovery plan they developed, which includes infrastructure, transportation and other recovery projects
“There were hundreds of hours put in this long-term plan, hundreds of hours of community participation and feedback,” said Schubert. “These are gonna be byproducts of the projects that were listed in there that weren’t addressed already.”
Panama City City Manager Mark McQueen said they’ll use the money for their local housing assistance plan to help local storm victims with rental and homeowner assistance and more.
“We’ve already begun that initiative with housing,” said McQueen. “I think the funds we spoke of that have been approved by HUD will help to supplement our housing initiative. We’re very excited about that because we think that’s going to help a lot of our citizens throughout the county.”
McQueen said they expect the money to revitalize the economy. Officials say once the Florida Department Of Economic Opportunity agrees with the plan, the city will apply for funding.
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Universal offers Floridians unlimited park entry Florida residents who buy a one-day, park-to-park ticket to Universal Orlando Resort can visit the parks every day through Dec. 24.
Universal on Monday announced the special ticket offer for Florida residents, which it said was the first of its kind.
By buying a one-day, park-to-park ticket, starting at $164 for adults and $159 for children, residents of the Sunshine State can visit the parks every day through Dec. 24 for free. There is an option to add the Volcano Bay waterpark to the ticket for an additional $29.
According to Universal, there are no blackout dates. The tickets can be purchased through Sept. 30.
For Florida residents, a one-day ticket to visit both theme parks (Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure) typically costs $174 for adults and $134 for children. A one-day ticket to visit either one of the parks is $119 for adults and $114 for children. A one-day Volcano Bay ticket is $70 for adults and $65 for children.
Florida residents can also take advantage of discounted nightly rates at Universal's hotels, like Universal's Endless Summer Resort -- Surfside Inn and Suites, available starting at $79 per night.
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Florida Deparrtment of Corrections
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Florida Housing Finance Corpration
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Hurricane Michael homebuyer program gets $10 million boost in down payment ai PANAMA CITY — Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday announced the relaunch of the Hurricane Michael Homebuyer Program and the doubling of down payment assistance to $10 million.
After the storm hit almost two years ago, one thing Bay County municipalities realized was that there were more renters than homeowners. The split was about 70% renters to 30% homeowners. DeSantis announced during a press conference at Panama City City Hall that more money would be funneled into the program to help mitigate that imbalance.
When the program first launched, it allocated $5 million in down payment assistance, which helped 335 homes, according to Florida Housing Finance Corporation Executive Director Trey Price. The money didn't last that long when it was allocated.
"They had $5 million last time and they went through that pretty quick," said Panama City Mayor Greg Brudnicki. "We had no idea why (DeSantis) was showing up here today. Coming in knowing it was successful last time and doubling the money is a big deal."
The program is expected to launch on Sept. 1 for residents in the surrounding counties affected by Hurricane Michael: Bay, Calhoun, Franklin, Gadsden, Gulf, Holmes, Jackson, Liberty, Taylor, Wakulla and Washington. The loan program will offer below market 30-year fixed rate first mortgages coupled with up to $15,000 in down payment.
The down payment loans will be 0% interest, non-amortizing and forgivable at 20% per year over five years. The loan is fully forgivable if an active duty service person is officially reassigned and must sell the home.
DeSantis made it a point to make sure that the counties affected by the hurricane were not forgotten about even during the COVID-19 pandemic, he said. DeSantis said he is committed to helping rebuild the communities after the Category 5 storm.
"These storms come and they go, but the damage they leave behind take time to rebuild," DeSantis said. "When you have a Category 5 storm like we had with Hurricane Michael, that takes years and years of support."
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During the COVID-19 pandemic, Miami Beach Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) members are preparing food distribution kits, performing wellness checks and serving as social distancing ambassadors throughout Miami-Dade County.
CERT is a training program that prepares Floridians to help their families and neighbors in the event of a disaster in their community. Volunteer Florida administers funding for CERT in partnership with the Florida Division of Emergency Management and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
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Department of Business and Professional Regulation
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DBPR offers online testing alternative for professional license exams
The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation announced Tuesday it has partnered with Pearson Vue to provide an online alternative for professional license exams.
“With these online examination options, we will help more licensure candidates move forward with scheduling examinations and completing the licensure process, regardless of recent seating and spacing limitations that have been necessary to maintain safe testing environments,” said DBPR Secretary Halsey Beshears. “These options are more than just a new choice of format – the capacity and convenience enabled through online testing will give hardworking Floridians the opportunity to get started in their occupations sooner, by a matter of months in some cases.” The online exams, which will be monitored in live time by a proctor, will be offered on a rolling schedule through Aug. 22 for the following professional license examinations:
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Virtual job-training fair aids Hillsborough residents after coronavirus shutdowns
TAMPA — Thinking of a career change after the coronavirus shut down your job? CareerSource Tampa Bay is seeking to help via virtual job-training fairs that continue through Oct. 1.
The program is intended to aid up to 1,000 Hillsborough County residents financially impacted by COVID-19 by providing information on grants of up to $5,000 for short-term training.
Dubbed “Virtual Training Provider Fairs’' the effort will provide a one-stop shop for job seekers to learn about training available through the federal CARES ACT Rapid Response Recovery program administered through Hillsborough County government.
The virtual fairs will allow residents looking for short-term training to directly contact providers for information on approved training programs in more than 125 subjects. Some of the available training includes forklift operator certification, computer software, commercial truck driver, pharmacy technician and cyber security. The complete training list is available at https://bit.ly/2PK19w8
Training providers will host live information sessions and job seekers can register to create an account and reserve their spot to attend a live session. For information, go to https://bit.ly/2PJfxoe or go to the CARES ACT Rapid Response Recovery Program website at https://www.careersourcetampabay.com/cares-act/
For additional assistance in applying, call (813) 360-1444 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday or email r3trgproviderapp@careersourcetb.com
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Department of Juvenile Justice
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Collaboration Through COVID: Serving Together Through a Global Pandemic Florida Council on Crime and Delinquency-The Councilor Summer 2020
A few short months ago, no one could have imagined just how much the world around us would change. While we began to learn more and prepare for the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), the great shift that would impact almost every aspect of our lives was something that could not have been predicted.
Even through a global pandemic, it is impossible for the criminal and juvenile justice systems to shut down completely. These systems, and the dedicated professionals that serve in them, would need to adapt quickly. At the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice, our first priority was to keep the youth in our programs and the staff who care for them safe from this encroaching and unpredictable virus. We immediately began to modify our procedures and institute new ones to ensure that we were doing all we could to keep COVID-19 out of facilities, while doing our part to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the community. Our facilities instituted pandemic plans in keeping with CDC guidelines, which included protocols on social distancing, group size limits, and how to handle a youth or staff that tests positive for COVID-19. Both staff and youth are utilizing personal protective equipment inside DJJ facilities and staff are screened daily prior to their shift, including answering screening questions and temperature checks. Youth are also screened before entering a juvenile detention center or if they are admitted to a residential commitment program. To minimize further community spread, youth who are released from a facility that has had any known staff or youth who have tested positive within the previous 20 days are tested for COVID-19. Our strategy in fighting against the virus had to be flexible due to the everchanging nature of this public health emergency.
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Florida Department of Elder Affairs
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Police dogs follow noses to solve crime
The Sumter County Sheriff’s Office police dogs do everything you’d expect of a K-9 unit: sniff out drugs, go after suspects and find explosives. But one of their talents has nothing to do with fighting crime. Sumter County has the nation’s oldest population with a median age of 68.1 years. With a more mature population comes an increase in residents with various forms of dementia who sometimes wander from their homes. According to a 2018 Florida Department of Elder Affairs report, 12% of Sumter County residents over the age of 64 have Alzheimer’s disease, and the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office is on the cutting edge of finding wandering people. When someone with any type of dementia wanders off, the department’s K-9 unit, specifically its bloodhound, can be called in. Sumter is one of three counties in the state — along with Seminole and Bay — that are part of Florida’s Bringing the Lost Home project.
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Department of Management Services
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Mobile COVID-19 testing will be available in Bay County this week
A mobile COVID-19 testing bus sponsored by the state will be coming to Bay County on Tuesday and Wednesday at the Youngstown-Fountain Recreational Complex.
A temporary walk-up site for the bus will be open on Tuesday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. and on Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., while supplies last. The bus will have enough supplies to test 200 people per day, according to a news release.
Anyone who wants to be tested must bring a photo ID, insurance card—although insurance is not required—and a pen. Test swabs from the nose and throat will be taken.
The mobile testing bus is sponsored by the Florida Department of Management Services.
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