Miami-Dade County declares Tropical Park a 24-hour COVID-19 testing site (includes video story)

Miami-Dade has seen a spike in COVID tests recently and to meet the demand, Tropical Park is now a 24-hour testing site.

The park, located at 4700 SW 40th Street, is among the most popular testing sites in the county. It previously opened from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day. But now that the county is averaging 24,000 tests a day, changes had to be made.

A statement released by the mayor’s office on Friday announced the testing site hours would be expanded to increase access to community members and reduce wait times.

Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava praised the decision in a statement saying, “Increasing access to COVID-19 testing is vital to detect the virus as early as possible. I’m proud that we are able to provide this important service 24/7 to Miami-Dade families.”

Nomi Health, which works in seven states, including Florida, is the operator in charge of testing and vaccination sites across Miami-Dade. Tropical Park is the first site under their management operating 24 hours a day.

Ron Goncalves is the general manager in Florida for Nomi Health. He addressed the convenience that the expanded hours provide for county residents.

“Giving the community access to testing at Tropical Park is critical to Nomi’s mission of ensuring everyone who needs a test can get one,” he said. “We understand that many cannot leave work or school during the day, so this round-the-clock access allows people to get tested without sacrificing the demands of their schedules.”

Mayor Levine Cava added, “We want to make sure our community has access to all the tools they need to protect themselves and their loved ones. And we want to encourage everyone to get vaccinated as soon as possible if you haven’t yet to help us stop the spread.”

Tropical Park will only be testing around the clock, but you can get vaccinated at the site from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., seven days a week.

Helen Acevedo is an FIU student majoring in broadcast media with a minor in political science and international relations. She is passionate about giving people a platform to tell their truths.