TAMPA, Fla — During football season, lots at Raymond James Stadium are usually filled with tailgaters taking in fun before games.
However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, hospitals and local officials converted the space into a drive-through testing site where at-risk patients can be screened.
RELATED: Coronavirus testing site to open at Raymond James Stadium, but you need to do 2 things first
“I feel like this is really unique to our community. And it's something really Tampa Bay should be proud of,” said Adam Smith, senior vice president of ambulatory services for Tampa General Hospital. “What you see here today is four healthcare systems: Tampa General Hospital, BayCare, AdventHealth and HCA all collectively working with the City of Tampa, Hillsborough County and the Department of Health collectively to set this up.
"So, it's really, really unique to have all of those providers come together to meet the needs of our community.”
Those looking to be screened must make an appointment first.
"We can't sustain that if somebody just shows up. We don't know who you are, what your situation is. It's just not feasible. So, it's nothing personal. It's a process,” said Jon-Paul Lavandeira, executive manager for Hillsborough County Code Enforcement.
Reservations also keep lines moving and protect workers.
“If we didn't have a reservation to do the pre-screening over the phone, we're going to have to do that at each of the cars, which exposes people longer,” Smith said.
Patients who have been pre-screened over the phone and have made an appointment can come to the stadium parking lot where they will be met by someone in protective gear who will take samples to be screened for COVID-19. The specimens are sent to Quest Diagnostics for testing, and patients receive results within a few days.
“We were allotted 900 kids to get this started," Smith said. "Our initial plan was to do five days. We kind of ran some numbers to say, ‘how many people could we get through in a day?’ We thought it was around 200.
"What we've learned today is that we could actually see a lot more patients."
Smith said the testing site will increase its numbers for Thursday and Friday.
"This is really a unique event in the history of and certainly my lifetime, where multiple private entities that are usually competitors are coming together to put out a need in the community,” Lavandeira said.
Anyone looking to be tested should call 813-272-5900. Anyone with symptoms can call from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday to make a reservation.
The center is open 8 a.m. until 2 p.m. through Saturday, or while supplies last.
Emerald Morrow is a reporter with 10News WTSP. Like her on Facebook and follow her on Twitter. You can also email her at emorrow@wtsp.com.
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