39 Were Tested On First Day At Cantonment Drive-Thru COVID-19 Testing Site. Here’s How You Can Be Tested.

April 1, 2020

Thirty-nine people were tested for COVID-19 Tuesday during the first day of operation for a drive-thru testing location in Cantonment before it was shut down due to bad weather.

The site is scheduled to operate from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays at Community Health Northwest Florida Pediatrics at 470 South Highway 29. It is operated as a partnership between Community Health Northwest Florida, Ascension Sacred Heart and Escambia County.

COVID-19 testing is open to everyone in the community who meets the pre-screening criteria, both children and adults. Testing is provided at no cost to patients. For those persons with health insurance, it will cover the full cost of screening. For those with no health insurance, there is no charge for this test. Once the testing is completed, patients will be instructed to go home and self-isolate, or keep away from other people (even family members) until results of the COVID-19 test are known.

“As a healthcare provider who last year cared for over 54,000 patients at our 17 clinic locations, we are committed to the health and safety of all families throughout our service area,” said Chandra Smiley, CEO and Executive Director of Community Health Northwest Florida. “We are grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with Escambia County and Ascension Sacred Heart to provide these important access points for COVID-19 testing.”

All patients are required to be pre-screened before arriving at the drive-thru testing center in Cantonment or other Sacred Heart locations by calling the Ascension Sacred Heart COVID-19 Pre-Screening Call Center at (850) 746-2684. Those who have not been pre-screened over the phone will not be provided access to the drive-through test center. Ascension Sacred Heart’s Pre-Screening Call Center is open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday through Friday.

The drive-thru testing center is located at the north end of the old shopping center that houses the pediatric practice. Suspected COVID-19 patients should remain in their vehicle and not enter the pediatric practice.

There were 15 previously confirmed cases of COVID-19 in r Cantonment as of Tuesday night.

Pictured: The first day of a drive-thru COVID-19 testing location at Community Health Northwest Florida Pediatrics at 470 South Highway 29. Photos courtesy Chorus Nylander/WEAR 3 for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.

Comments

3 Responses to “39 Were Tested On First Day At Cantonment Drive-Thru COVID-19 Testing Site. Here’s How You Can Be Tested.”

  1. Tealist on April 3rd, 2020 11:25 am

    I called yesterday about 12:30 told them what I did for a living which is not in healthcare and I was told I definitely qualified so I made it down there about a quarter to 1 which is when they close and I was in and out within 10 minutes. I was also told it takes between 3 to 5 days to get results back and that I needed to quarantine until I get my results. Overall seem like a pretty smooth operations though. very thankful for the men and women who made that possible

  2. Me too on April 1st, 2020 8:05 pm

    Christina they told me the same thing.

  3. Christina on April 1st, 2020 6:32 pm

    I called the number yesterday and was told I didn’t qualify for testing, even though I have all the symptoms (fever 102 for going on 4 days now, coughing, chest is tight and feels like glass, sore throat), because I didn’t work in the healthcare field.

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News