Additional COVID-19 Public Testing Sites to Open in Hillsborough County

Hillsborough County, Fla. (May 28, 2020) - Additional COVID-19 coronavirus public testing locations will open in Brandon, Wimuama, and Sun City Center, possibly as soon as next week, it was reported today to members of the Hillsborough County Emergency Policy Group during their weekly meeting.

Hillsborough County and the Florida Department of Health in Hillsborough County are partnering with health care providers to stand up the new sites. As at the other public testing locations at Raymond James Stadium and the County's three Community Resource Centers in SouthShore, east Tampa, and PlantCity, the tests at the new sites will be free and no insurance required.

Since mid-March, samples for more than 20,600 tests have been collected at the four public sites and through a mobile testing program. EPG members had requested that the County consider additional testing locations, particularly in areas farther removed from the existing sites or where residents may be at higher risk for contracting and recovering from the virus.

Details regarding the new locations will be announced when plans are finalized.

In other action during the meeting, EPG members:

• Voted to communicate to licensed childcare facilities and programs the recommendations presented during the meeting by Dr. Patricia Emmanuel, chair of pediatrics at the University of South Florida's College of Medicine. Among the recommendations: keep group sizes small, attempt to maintain social distancing of six feet apart, implement enhanced hand washing and cleaning, and give consideration to gradual increases in the number of children enrolled.
• Received assurances from Hillsborough County Emergency Management Director Tim Dudley that this year's hurricane season preparations include measures to accommodate social distancing in shelter operations.
• Reinforced that it is the decision of local governments - and not the EPG - to make decisions about reopening public parks, splash pads, and other recreational facilities.
• Extended a state of local emergency enacted in response to the pandemic. By Florida statute, a state of local emergency can be in effect for only seven days, unless rescinded. The declaration gives County Administrator Mike Merrill and emergency managers the ability to quickly take certain actions to ensure the health, safety, and welfare of the community, and provides a path for federal reimbursement of certain expenses.

The Hillsborough County Emergency Policy Group is comprised of three County Commissioners, the mayors from the cities of Plant City, Tampa, and Temple Terrace, the Sheriff, and Chairman of the School Board. Authority is granted by Article 8 of the Florida Constitution, Section 125.66 and Chapter 252, Florida Statutes. Hillsborough County enacted Hillsborough County Code of Ordinances and Laws Chapter 22, Article II, Sections 22-23 in order to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the County's residents during declared emergencies.

The next EPG meeting is scheduled Thursday, June 4 at 1:30 p.m.

Other Hillsborough County News

Libraries now offering curbside pickup - The Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative is now providing contact-free curbside pickup at the following locations:

• C. Blythe Andrews, Jr. Public Library, 2607 E. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. in Tampa
• Jan Kaminis Platt Regional Library, 3910 S. Manhattan Ave. in Tampa
• Jimmie B. Keel Regional Library, 2902 W. Bearss Ave. in Tampa
• Maureen B. Gauzza Regional Public Library, 11211 Countryway Blvd. in Tampa
• New Tampa Regional Public Library, 10001 Cross Creek Blvd. in Tampa
• North Tampa Branch Library, 8916 N. Boulevard in Tampa
• SouthShore Regional Library, 15816 Beth Shields Way in Ruskin
• Town 'N Country Regional Public Library, 7606 Paula Dr., Suite 120 in Tampa
• Bloomingdale Regional Public Library, 1906 Bloomingdale Ave. in Valrico

With the new Curbside Pickup service, the Library will notify customers when their hold item is ready. Customers can then use the online menu or call (813) 273-3652 to schedule an appointment to pick up the item. Residents are asked to bring their library card number and to remain in their vehicles during pickup. Contact-free curbside pickup is available by appointment only, Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. Visit hcplc.org/curbside for more information.

Get Connected. Stay Alert.
For more information on COVID-19, and any other potential emergency in the region, visit HCFLGov.net/StaySafe and sign up for the HCFL Alert system. Additionally, you can follow Hillsborough County on social media at Facebook, Twitter, and Nextdoor for updates. For general County information, call (813) 272-5900, the County's main information line.