Sarasota County pauses drive-thru COVID-19 testing until Tuesday

Sarasota County announced it will pause its COVID-19 drive-thru testing site at Twin Lakes Park until Tuesday, March 31. 

In a statement Saturday afternoon, the Sarasota Department of Health, working in conjunction with Sarasota Memorial Hospital and Sarasota County, said it had tested more than 60 people since it began drive-thru testing on Friday, but it was not able to fill its 50 testing appointment slots per day.

The department said the two-day pause will allow those with symptoms of COVID-19 time to receive medical advice, have a test ordered and make an appointment.

"Additionally, pausing for a couple of days will help to conserve our most valuable resource, the people who are staffing the testing site for our community," the release stated.

The testing site will reopen 8 a.m. to noon on Tuesday at Twin Lakes Park, 6700 Clark Road.

To receive a test at the site, visitors must be referred by a physician. The physician's office will notify the Sarasota Department of Health, which will contact the individual with an appointment day and time. 

The county is asking residents who believe they may have COVID-19 to call the Sarasota County COVID-19 call center at 941-861-2883 before they visit a hospital emergency room.

For more general information, visit the Florida Department of Health's page on COVID-19.