Mass test/vaccine sites start to go away, but will stick around in smaller scale

Reporter: Nicole Gabe Writer: Jack Lowenstein
Published: Updated:
A mobile COVID-19 testing site. Credit: WINK News

The future of a Southwest Florida county’s coronavirus resources is up in the air, as two major closure announcements were made in two days by Lee County leaders.

Lee County’s COVID-19 testing site and large-scale vaccination site are both shutting down.

Test swabs for COVID-19 are not in high demand at the moment because of vaccinations, but experts say they will be needed for a while.

So if you’re concerned where you can get either, there are still plenty of options.

“I think we are moving in the right direction, and people are getting more comfortable,” said Robert Hawkes, the director of FGCU’s physician assistant program.

Hawkes says, with more people vaccinated, we’ll see fewer sites and shorter lines.

“When people get vaccinated, it really decreases the need for them to want to be tested, which is why we are going to see fewer testing sites remain open,” Hawkes said.

Lee County is doing that by preparing to shut down CenturyLink Stadium’s COVID-19 test site in the county Sunday, May 23. Likewise, the mass vaccination site at the Edison Mall is moving to a smaller location at Florida Department of Health in Lee County.

“So when we first began, we had limited supply,” Hawkes said. “We created these large facilities, or people could get the vaccine, but now that there is more dosing available. It is really showing us that the need for these large sites aren’t going to be as warranted because now we can get the vaccine into the communities into smaller facilities.”

That includes facilities such as CVS, Walgreens, Publix and Walmart.

While people can say goodbye to the mass vaccination and testing sites, Hawkes says expect swabs and vaccines to stick around.

“They are certainly going to stay available for a while, whether it is in a physician’s office or pharmacy,” Hawkes said. “The need for the vaccine will be there, as people are still going to continue to get it and probably as the age group will continue to get lower in regards to children.”

MORE: Latest vaccine schedules and resources

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