DeLand, FL - COVID-19 testing is scheduled to begin again next week at the Volusia County Fairgrounds in DeLand with a soft opening planned to take place once county officials confirm a date.
Emergency Management Director Jim Judge Judge said he'll be speaking with the Operations Chief for the Division of Emergency Management for the state later today to firm up the final details. County crews are already prepping the Fairgrounds for the drive-through testing, which will have four separate lanes. "One will be for those individuals who are symptomatic. That will be a self-swab type test. We'll have two lanes of individuals who request to be tested with the nasal swab. That'll be done by an RN. The fourth lane will be anti-body testing. It will be a blood test and they'll have the results literally, within 30 minutes."
While the details are being worked out, at this time it's not clear how long this testing site will be open. Judge said to start with, it will be open six days per week. "It will run six days a week, from Thursday through Tuesday. We tried to work around the market on Wednesdays but it was just going to create too many problems."
County Chair Ed Kelley said that we deserve to be in the rapid testing along with the other four counties that were included. He told Judge that he appreciated his work with the mayors of Volusia County's 16 cities in the letter written to Governor DeSantis requesting more testing, saying that he thinks it did make a difference.
Holly Hill Mayor Chris Via, who got the ball rolling with the letter to the Governor, said he's grateful that it's happening and thankful to the County government for taking the lead on this. He and his family members had COVID-19 symptoms and went for testing. When ten days had gone past, he got the letter going. Via said he self-quarantined for 14 days and got his results 17 days after he was tested.
Check back with News Daytona Beach for updates or visit volusia.org
