Demand for the COVID-19 test in Southwest Florida is rising yetappointments are booked out days in advance at local pharmacies.
Officials at CVS confirmedtest demand is up but declined to offer details of how many tests are being done.
“Daily COVID-19 testing volume is currently running ahead of average daily volume year-to-date, and significantly ahead of average daily volume in the second quarter,” CVS spokeswoman Tara Burke said in an email.
Recently:COVID-19 hospitalizations at Lee Health soar to 557 on Monday, nearly a 12% increase from Friday
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She declined to respond if CVS will address demand by adding more appointments.
“It doesn’t mean it exceeds supply,” she said. “(Appointments) are booked due to demand.”
Tests are available at nearly 5,000 locations and that is “ample capacity to handle increased demand,” she said.
She added, “COVID-19 home test kits are the top-selling item in our stores.”
Fort Myers resident Osvaldo Padilla, 49, knows whatit's like to struggle to get tested andwait for the results.
He learned late last week he was exposed to someone positive. Hemanaged to get a PCR testlast Fridayat the Lee health department but would have to wait three to five days for the result.
He went home and went online and had no luck at a CVS or Walgreens for an appointment for a rapid test.
"There was no place near me had an appointment and I kept clicking and widening the search until it was Sarasota," he said. "Nothing was available."
He got his results from the health department Sunday and was fortunate to be negative but itruined his weekend because heself quarantined. Other people may not take that step if they have to wait three days or longer for results.
"I don't know if everyone is going to self quarantine," he said.
The state Department of Health in Collier announcedit has expanded its appointment-only testing to add some evening hours this week.
Residents can call 239-252-6220 for an evening appointment for drive-thru testing from 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 18 at the Collier department’s location at 3339 Tamiami Trail East.
“We are looking to add two evenings a week as long as the demand is there,” spokeswoman Kristine Hollingsworth said.
The health department has daytime appointmentsavailable Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. by calling the same number at 239-252-6220. The testing is at 3339 Tamiami Trail and masks must be worn. There is no cost or referral required.
There are no plans to add a mass testing site anywhere in Collier, Hollingsworth said.
“We have the capacity to hold testing at our Naples campus,” she said.
The health department is now averaging 125 tests a day, substantiallyup from a few weeks ago of 20 to 30 tests daily, she said. Walk-up testing is not possible, she said.
“Drive thru allows for the possible infected individual to stay in the car and not come into the building,” she said.
Officials at the health department in Lee said they are testingabout 100 people a day.More people have beenseeking COVID-19 tests in recent weeks.
"Demand has increased significantly for a number of reasons such as increased travel (and) employer requirements," spokeswoman Tammy Soliz said in an email.
The health department in Lee offers drive-thru testing by appointment at 3920 Michigan Ave. in Fort Myers.This site is open Monday through Friday.To schedule an appointment, call 239-461-6100.
"We are working with community partners to discuss additional testing," she said. "We have no immediate plans to open a mass testing site such as CenturyLink. CenturyLink was established when there was a lack of other community resources for testing. Since that time, CVS, Walgreens, private physicians/labs have all begun testing."
During the time CenturyLink's mass testing site was opened last year in Lee, the county never surpassed a weekly average of 500 cases per day, and only surpassed 400 tests twice in July, 2020 and in January, 2021, according to the network data
Even though thestate Department of Healthdoes not publish testing data anymore, it’s possible to estimate how many tests are given based on positive case numbers multiplied by the positivity rate.
The state reported 5,585 new cases last week in Lee and its positivity rate was 24.6% so roughly 22,700 tests were administered, according to a USA TODAY Network-Florida analysis. Collier last week reported 2,168 new cases and its positivity rate as 20.3% so roughly 10,680 tests were administered, according to the analysis.
USA Today Florida data reporter Dan DeLuca contributed to this report.
