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Tag: COVID-19 testing

COVID-19 on the rise in Manatee County

COVID-19 rising in Manatee County

Written by Jason Schaffer on . Posted in Anna Maria Island, Community News.

ANNA MARIA ISLAND – While life has returned nearly to normal on the Island more than two years into the COVID-19 pandemic, people are still catching the virus with cases on the rise.

The current community level in Manatee County is medium after spending more than two months at low. 

COVID-19 community levels are a new tool to help communities decide what prevention steps to take based on the latest data. Levels can be low, medium or high and are determined by looking at hospital beds being used, hospital admissions, and the total number of new COVID-19 cases in an area. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommend taking precautions to protect yourself and others from COVID-19 based on your community level. The CDC guidelines are:

  • Low: Stay up to date with vaccines and get tested if you have symptoms.
  • Medium: If you are at high risk for severe illness, talk to your doctor about whether you need to wear a mask or take extra precautions. Stay up to date with vaccines and get tested if you have symptoms.
  • High: Wear a mask indoors in public, stay up to date with vaccines, get tested if you have symptoms and take additional precautions if you’re at high risk for illness.

The Florida Department of Health in Manatee County (DOH) continues to give no-cost COVID-19 vaccinations at its clinic on Sixth Avenue East in Bradenton. The DOH offers the Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines. All vaccinations are by appointment only. Appointments are available between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. on weekdays. Call 941-242-6646 to book an appointment.

COVID-19 in Manatee County

 

June 5

Cases 289

% Positivity 22.39%

Deaths < 10

% Eligible population vaccinated 72.4%

New hospital admissions 33

 

June 13

Cases 298

% Positivity 22.39%

Deaths < 10

% Eligible population vaccinated 72.5%

New hospital admissions 52

 

Source: CDC

Anyone who books an appointment for a vaccination is asked to download and complete a vaccination consent form. Click on “Events” in the toolbar and the system will take you to the page with the form.

Anyone under age 18 who would like to be vaccinated must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. The clinic is located at 410 Sixth Ave. E. in Bradenton.

There were three deaths in Manatee County due to COVID-19 in the past week, a 233% increase from the previous week, so the DOH encourages every eligible person to get vaccinated. According to the DOH, anyone who qualifies for a COVID-19 vaccination who has yet to get vaccinated – whether they’ve already had COVID-19 or not – is strongly encouraged to get vaccinated. 

COVID-19 vaccines are safe and have proven effective in preventing illness and death due to the virus. If you are seeking a second dose of either the Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, please be sure to bring your vaccination card and the completed consent form to the clinic. 

COVID-19 testing continues to be offered outdoors at the Bradenton Area Convention Center from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day (weather permitting). The site offers both PCR and rapid testing.

Additional vaccination and testing sites in Manatee County can be found here. Vaccines and tests are also available at most pharmacies.

County opens new COVID-19 testing site

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Community News, Featured, Health.

MANATEE COUNTY – A new COVID-19 testing site is now available at the SUNZ insurance building, 1301 Eighth Ave. in downtown Bradenton.

The new location offers free PCR and rapid testing at a walk-up site open seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Anyone wishing to be tested is asked to provide a form of government-issued photo identification, such as a driver’s license or passport.

No appointments are necessary, though you can save time and pre-register by going online.

Another county-run COVID-19 test site is located at the Bradenton Area Convention Center at 1 Haben Blvd. in Palmetto, which is also open seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

For anyone who wants a more convenient, free COVID-19 testing option, you can submit a form to receive one set of four free at-home COVID-19 tests. The tests are available online and are limited to one order per residential address. Each order contains four individual rapid antigen tests and will begin shipping in late January.

If you’re one of the people who have managed to find a rapid COVID-19 test in stores, check with your insurance company; they might be able to provide you a refund for the cost of the tests.

Under guidance released Jan. 10 from the Biden administration, private insurers are required to begin covering the cost of up to eight FDA-authorized rapid at-home COVID-19 tests per month beginning Jan. 15.

The coverage requirement does not apply to Medicaid managed care or Medicare Advantage plans.

Reimbursement is capped at $12 per test, though some insured individuals may qualify for direct cost coverage where the in-store test would be free. Check with your insurance company to determine how to apply for reimbursement.

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COVID-19 booster shot available

COVID-19 booster shot available

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Community News, Manatee County.

MANATEE COUNTY – If you have a compromised immune system, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that you have a booster, or third dose, of a COVID-19 vaccine.

To help keep immune-compromised people safe with the novel coronavirus still a threat in the community, the Florida Department of Health in Manatee County is offering additional doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines to those who qualify for the booster shot.

The Pfizer vaccine was given full approval by the Federal Drug Administration on Aug. 23.

For more information on who qualifies for a COVID-19 vaccine booster shot, please visit the CDC online.

To receive a booster shot from the DOH, you must make an appointment at the Palmetto Bus Station COVID-19 vaccination site by calling 941-242-6646. Appointments are available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Anyone receiving a booster shot will need to bring their vaccination card and remain in their vehicle while receiving the shot. The Palmetto Bus Station is at 1802 Eighth Ave. in Palmetto.

Booster shots also are available without an appointment at area Publix pharmacy and Walgreens pharmacy locations.

All vaccines and booster shots are available free of charge.

COVID-19 testing is available seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Bradenton Area Convention Center, One Haben Blvd. in Palmetto. The site offers both PCR and rapid testing.

Additional Manatee County vaccination and testing sites can be found online.

Monoclonal antibody therapy treatments also are available for anyone age 12 and older who is at high risk for severe illness due to COVID-19. The treatment is shown to help prevent hospitalization and death in high-risk patients and is available free of charge.

Manatee Memorial Hospital also will serve as a local location where eligible people can receive a free monoclonal antibody therapy treatment. For more information or to make an appointment visit the state health department online.

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State COVID-19 testing sites close

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Community News, Featured, Health.

MANATEE COUNTY – The COVID-19 testing site that’s been a fixture in the southwest corner of the Bradenton Area Convention Center parking lot for the past several months is closed.

The order to close all state COVID-19 testing sites by May 28 came from the Florida Department of Health on May 11. Two of the first ones to close were in Manatee and Sarasota counties, both of which were set to close May 15 after testing for the day concluded.

Though the walk-up site at the convention center is no more, Manatee County residents still have options to receive free COVID-19 tests.

Local Walgreens and CVS locations are offering free COVID-19 testing with both rapid tests and more detailed diagnostic tests that take a few days to receive results.

On Anna Maria Island, both CVS and Walgreens offer the diagnostic test. For a rapid test, islanders will need to drive into town.

To book an appointment for COVID-19 testing at a Walgreens location, visit their website. You will be required to fill out a short online form and provide your insurance information. Select Walgreens locations offer drive-thru testing.

To book an appointment at a local CVS, visit their COVID-19 test information page. Patients also will have to fill out a short online form and provide insurance information to book an appointment.

For those who don’t want to visit a local pharmacist, at-home COVID-19 test kits are available for purchase. The test kits are available for about $40 and can be purchased in person or online from CVS and other retailers. Patients will have to take their own nasal sample using the provided collection tools and mail the sample to a designated laboratory for processing.

More information on at-home testing can be found on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.

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Manatee County increases COVID-19 testing capacities

Manatee County increases COVID-19 testing capacities

Written by Joe Hendricks on . Posted in Community News, Featured, Health, Manatee County.

MANATEE COUNTY – Manatee County residents now have access to six COVID-19 test sites and more test kits are now available.

On Tuesday, county commissioners authorized County Administrator Cheri Coryea to spend up to $100,000 to purchase COVID-19 test kits and the personal protective equipment needed to administer the tests.

On Thursday, the county issued a press release that said nearly 800 testing kits had already been obtained.

According to the press release, county leaders worked with MCR Health to purchase 500 test kits. This means county residents can now get tested at five of MCR Health’s locations in Manatee County.

On Thursday, the Manatee County Department of Health announced a second round of drive-thru testing will take place at the Bradenton Area Convention Center next week. The convention center is located at 1 Haben Blvd. in Palmetto.

Serving up to 80 patients per day, the drive-thru testing will take place Wednesday, April 29 through Friday, May 1.

“I want our residents to know that much more is being done to secure additional testing for coming weeks. We will continue to do all it takes to get as many people tested as necessary to see a decrease in COVID-19 cases in our community,” Coryea said in Thursday’s press release.

Manatee County increases COVID-19 testing capacities
Additional testing is now available to those who meet the testing criteria. – Manatee County | Submitted

MCR Health testing

MCR Health is offering COVID-19 collection kits at five Manatee County locations. According to the press release, patient fees for the testing and any associated costs will be determined at the time of the visit.

On Tuesday, Coryea said it costs $107 to get tested at a local MCR Health facility. Coryea said there is a co-pay for those with health insurance and a sliding fee scale for those without insurance.

The five MCR Health locations in Manatee County are:

  • East Manatee Health and Wellness Center 1312 Manatee Ave. E., Bradenton, 941-708-8700;
  • Southeast Family Healthcare Center, 919 53rd Ave. E., Bradenton, 941-751-8100;
  • Southwest Health Center, 5325 26th St. W., Bradenton, 941-752-7173;
  • Lawton Chiles Pediatrics, 1515 26th Ave. E., Bradenton, 941-708-8600;
  • Edgar H. Price Family & Children Healthcare Center, 12271 U.S. Hwy. 301 N., Parrish, 941-776-4050.

According to Thursday’s press release, Public Safety Director Jake Saur said MCR Health locations are ideal for younger people who are not typically sick and who may not have a primary care physician, and also for the uninsured or under-insured who might have difficulty finding a physician to provide them with a prescription to get tested.

Drive-thru testing

In response to requests from county officials, the state has provided COVID-19 specimen collection kits to the Department of Health (DOH) in Manatee County. These test kits will be used for drive-through testing at the Bradenton Area Convention Center in Palmetto.

The drive-thru testing site will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. from Wednesday, April 29 through Friday, May 1.

The Department of Health has 240 specimen collection kits available for the three-day drive-thru testing session and the department will schedule up to 80 testing appointments per day.

An additional 60 test kits will be withheld for contact tracing or to test those at higher risk due to potential exposure.

Visitors to the drive-thru testing site must have a prescription to be tested for COVID-19. They must also make a testing appointment in advance by calling the Manatee County Health Department at 941-748-0747.

Those who seek testing at the drive-thru location must:

  • Be in a vehicle. No walk-up patients will be seen;
  • Drivers must remain in their vehicle at all times;
  • Drivers must present a photo ID and a prescription for specimen collection that is written by their health care provider – and the name on the ID or proof of address and the name on the prescription must match.

During Tuesday’s meeting, Public Safety Director Jake Saur said testing conducted by the health department using test kits received from the state must be done at no cost to the patient. On Friday, Manatee County Information Outreach Manager Nick Azzara confirmed that next week’s drive-thru testing will be conducted free of charge.

Anyone in Manatee County who believes they may have COVID-19 should call the Manatee Health Line at (941) 242-6649 before calling 911 or visiting a hospital emergency room.