A new COVID-19 test site opened today at 65th Infantry Veterans Park to provide no-cost, rapid antigen testing for residents, available daily from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Osceola County is partnering with Nomi Health to provide walk-up COVID-19 testing at this location as well as other weekly options at several libraries.
The days and locations include:
Daily – 65th Infantry Veterans Park from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
301 Buenaventura Boulevard, Kissimmee (Buenaventura Lakes)
Mondays – St. Cloud Library from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.*
810 13th Street, St. Cloud
*On Monday, September 6, hours are 12 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Tuesdays – West Osceola Library from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.*
305 Campus Street, Celebration
*On Tuesday, September 7, hours are 12 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Wednesdays – Poinciana Library from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
101 N. Doverplum Avenue, Kissimmee
No appointments are needed for these locations, however, patients may pre-register their information at http://testing.nomihealth.com/signup/fl.
Testing sites will operate under the following guidelines:
· Results are shared with the patient via email.
· Turnaround times for antigen tests are 20-40 minutes and for PCR testing, within 48 hours.
· Patients are allowed one test per individual per day. If a patient tests positive on their antigen test, medical staff will conduct a PCR test as a follow-up.
· Tests are available for individuals 1 year or older.
COVID-19 testing is also available at the Florida Department of Health in Osceola and local pharmacies. Information on testing locations throughout Osceola is available at www.Osceola.org/covid19testing.
COVID-19 vaccinations are widely available at local pharmacies – such as CVS, Walgreens, Publix and Walmart; urgent care facilities and provider offices. The Florida Department of Health also offers vaccinations at no cost. Find vaccination locations at www.Osceola.org/covid19vaccinations.
The Florida Department of Health’s COVID-19 Weekly Situation Report continues to show an increase in local cases, with current data for August 20 to August 26, noting an increase of 2,576 cases reported with 16.8 percent of new case positivity. Among Osceola residents 12 and older, 73 percent have received at least one shot. The weekly report is published every Friday. (Today’s report with new data has not been published at this time.) For more information on COVID-19 data, please visit https://floridahealthcovid19.gov/.
Florida Department of Health (FDOH) in Osceola reminds the community that monoclonal antibody treatments (MAB) can prevent hospitalization or death in high-risk patients with COVID-19 and are widely available in Florida. Individuals 12 years and older who are high-risk, that have contracted or been exposed to COVID-19, are eligible for this treatment. Treatment is free and vaccination status does not matter. Learn more at https://floridahealthcovid19.gov/.
FDOH-Osceola is working together with our community partners to offer COVID-19 vaccination and educational events. Osceola County community or faith-based organizations, businesses or schools interested in hosting a vaccination event should submit an event request by visiting http://osceola.floridahealth.gov/about-us/expanded-alert-3.html.
Currently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that moderately to severely immunocompromised people receive an additional dose of vaccine. This includes people who have:
· Been receiving active cancer treatment for tumors or cancers of the blood.
· Received an organ transplant and are taking medicine to suppress the immune system.
· Received a stem cell transplant within the last 2 years or are taking medicine to suppress the immune system.
· Moderate or severe primary immunodeficiency (such as DiGeorge syndrome, Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome)
· Advanced or untreated HIV infection.
· Active treatment with high-dose corticosteroids or other drugs that may suppress the immune response.
CDC recommends the additional dose of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine be administered at least four weeks after a second dose of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. People with compromised immune systems should talk to their healthcare provider about their medical condition and whether getting an additional dose is appropriate for them. If their healthcare provider is not administering vaccines, they should visit https://floridahealthcovid19.gov/ to locate a vaccine provider in Osceola or surrounding counties.
Additionally, the CDC has announced that booster shots will be available late September for the general public. It is recommended that individuals with healthy immune systems receive their booster shot 8 months after their second dose. For more information, visit https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html. Please continue to monitor http://osceola.floridahealth.gov for additional updates.
