DeSantis, Gaetz Discuss COVID-19, New Testing Site At UWF

May 2, 2020

Gov. Ron DeSantis said Friday afternoon in Pensacola that expanded testing is important as Florida advances through the COVID-19 recovery process.

DeSantis and Rep. U.S. Matt Gaetz addressed the media at a state-run drive-thru COVID-19 testing center at the University of West Florida Softball Complex as the Florida National Guard performed tests behind them.

“It is essential that we identify cases as they come up,” DeSantis said. “You have places like Northwest Florida, that’s a lot different than a New York City or Chicago or some of these other places. But if you see a cluster develop, we use testing and then we can go in and isolate people, so they don’t affect other people. So it’s very, very important to do it.”

The testing site at the UWF is a two lane drive-thru operated in partnership with the Florida National Guard, the Florida Division of Emergency Management, Escambia County and Santa Rosa County. It will be open from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. daily for the next two weeks.

“We will offer, to start, 400 tests a day. If there’s more, we’ll do more,” the governor said. The testing is open to anyone, regardless of if they have symptoms.

“It’s meant to cast a broad net, and we want to be able to identify as many cases as we can,” he said.

U.S. Rep Matt Gaetz praised DeSantis’ handling of the coronavirus situation in Florida.

“Governor in all the work we’ve done together, I’ve never been prouder than when the [resident acknowledges that our team working effectively to raise these concerns, results in better care for our residents and our constituents,” Gaetz said Friday at the UWF testing site.

“There are a few areas where the governor’s work the president’s work has aligned specifically to meet some needs in Northwest Florida, and I want to highlight those. Because we were able to get draw downs on the front end, I can tell you that we had the CEO of Baptist Hospital able to get tests and swabs early, and he actually drove himself Mark Faulkner did over to Tallahassee, to the emergency operation center, where you would coordinate a testing on the front end that allowed us to be in a good position. I serve on the president’s task force with the head of Ascension Health Care that’s a major provider in our community,” the congressman said.

Gaetz added, “And then I would also suggest that the offense that we’re playing in nursing homes, and in long term care facilities is uniquely important to Northwest Floridians, I can tell you, governor, anytime we’ve had, even the concern, even the whiff of this virus in one of our long term care facilities, your department of health has been there on time on target. I had one facility in the Twin Cities area that had like three and four visits from the Department of Health for triple and quadruple redundancy, to make sure that we were getting accurate test results.”

Gaetz also mentioned short term vacation rentals that remain suspended under an order from the governor, saying that has a big impact on Northwest Florida.

“The Governor and I met briefly before and there are a couple of issues in Northwest Florida that we talked about the first is a vacation rentals in Northwest Florida,” Gaetz said. “We don’t have a 500 key hotel room every thousand feet, because of our density that we have, we’re more reliant on vacation rentals. And I’m confident that in the governor’s evidence-based, measured approach, the same approach he took on the front end of this virus, that as soon as it is safe and appropriate, and we enter new phases that the governor will work with our local communities to open vacation rentals.”

The testing site at UWF is located at the SP2 parking lot, which is on the east side of campus near the East Sports Complex. Individuals are asked to remain in their vehicles. The National Guard will be there to assist.

The site was open Friday for a “test run” with COVID-19 tests for first responders.

Comments

5 Responses to “DeSantis, Gaetz Discuss COVID-19, New Testing Site At UWF”

  1. Toby Cox on May 15th, 2020 8:51 pm

    Thank you for the testing!! This coming Monday will be two weeks since testing. Knowing they are busy but when might we get our test results? I have called the phone numbers on sheet provided.
    Not fuss’in, just would like to get results!!

  2. Ebay-er on May 5th, 2020 2:47 pm

    …asked for an autograph? Selfie? Really?

  3. E Z on May 3rd, 2020 11:15 am

    It would have been nice if this happened 2 months ago.

  4. BRING IT ON on May 3rd, 2020 2:38 am

    I’m wondering if the testing is even accurate or necessary.

  5. Sherry Ewy on May 2nd, 2020 8:52 am

    Hmm, I really would have liked to have known the Gov was coming. Funny that I didnt

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News