Starting next week, Ruth Eckerd Hall will act as a drive-thru only coronavirus testing site three days a week.
The new testing site is set to open 7 a.m. Monday in the Ruth Eckerd Hall parking lot at 1111 N. McMullen Booth Road in Clearwater. Pinellas County residents can be tested Mondays, Wednesday and Fridays from 7 a.m.-10 a.m. on a first-come, first-serve basis, according to a Ruth Eckerd Hall press release.
Patients are encouraged to bring a referral from a medical provider; those who do not will be screened based on Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines.
The test site was put together in partnership by Ruth Eckerd Hall, BayCare, Pinellas County, the City of Clearwater and the Florida Department of Health Pinellas County, in an effort to make testing more accessible for northern and central Pinellas County residents.
“As a testing site, we have the opportunity to be of service and put our resources to work for our community, albeit in a completely different way,” said Susan Crockett, Ruth Eckerd Hall President & CEO.
The release says the site will operate similarly to that of the recently closed Tropicana Field testing site in St. Petersburg, which reached testing kit capacity one hour after opening on its first day.
Additional Pinellas County COVID-19 testing sites can be found here.
Support local journalism in these crazy days. Our small but mighty team is working tirelessly to bring you up to the minute news on how Coronavirus is affecting Tampa and surrounding areas. Please consider making a one time or monthly donation to help support our staff. Every little bit helps.
Subscribe to our newsletter and follow @cl_tampabay on Twitter.
This article appears in Aug 6-12, 2020.