JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – This week’s strong storms have slowed down the testing for COVID-19 at Jacksonville’s Lot J site, causing delays for two days in a row.
The parking lot outside TIAA Bank Field has been running for several weeks as a COVID-19 testing site. But the drive-through testing site at Lot J couldn’t open until after 1 p.m. Tuesday and closed again around 3 p.m. due to heavy weather moving through.
Strong storms, with lightning, came through, delaying the 9 a.m. start by hours. The Florida National Guard, which is running the testing site with the help of the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department, made the decision shortly before the scheduled opening time.
“Unfortunately, we are held to what Mother Nature provides us and that this morning and yesterday morning, unfortunately, was weather,” said Capt. Robert Borger, the officer in charge of the operation for the Florida Army National Guard. “We don’t want to keep anyone in an unsafe environment.”
This week, the Florida National Guard took over the Lot J site, which is now a state-run testing site instead of federal. That’s supposed to raise the maximum number of tests from 250 to 400 per day.
But rain delays have caused those numbers to be much lower. Monday, 133 tests were given out in between storms, according to a Guard spokeswoman. Tuesday, only 67 people were tested due to inclement weather.
“When we are open, we are going to get as many people as we can,” Borger said. “Obviously, for closed for a portion, it’s going to limit the amount of people we can get in for the day.”
Many of the soldiers here are trained medical professionals: paramedics, doctors and nurses. About 60 are on duty at Lot J per day. They can help lower the numbers of police and firefighters needed for this essential service.
“We’re here,” Borger said. “We are National Guard soldiers so we volunteered to assist where necessary.”
More bad weather is expected this week. Guard members said they are prepared to make changes as necessary.
Typically, the Lot J site is open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day or until the daily limit of 400 tests is reached.
Testing at the Lot J site is open to people of all ages who have respiratory symptoms of the coronavirus, as well as health care workers and first responders who have had direct contact with confirmed cases.
Across town, testing at the Prime Osborn Convention Center kicked off about 2 p.m. Tuesday after its scheduled 11 a.m. Tuesday start was delayed because of the weather. Those with appointments earlier in the day can still get tested.
There are no other testing sites available without an appointment in Clay, St. Johns, and Nassau counties.
The Prime Osborn site is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. seven days a week or while supplies last.
In all of Duval County, including hospitals and testing sites, News4Jax learned Friday that more than 5,000 people have been tested for the coronavirus.
The return of test results varies from 24 hours at hospitals to over 10 days at drive-through test sites.
Mayor Lenny Curry tweeted Saturday that about 5% of tests are coming back positive, trending below other metro Florida areas.