Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez: The importance of testing for COVID-19

As Miami-Dade County continues to tamp down the spread of COVID-19, we need our community’s help to continue to get tested for the virus. The more testing we do, the faster we can open more businesses safely and get people back at work. 

At this time, we have more free testing sites available throughout the County than ever before, and the wait at drive-up and walk-up sites is minimal because fewer people are seeking testing. 

It’s critical that our community not get complacent just because we have been able to reduce our positivity rate and hospitalizations. Another spike can come if we let our guard down and don’t wear masks or don’t social distance, and testing is a key component of the strategy our public health experts recommend to keep our community safe. 

You don’t have to have symptoms to get tested. If you think you may have been in contact with a person who has the virus, you should get tested right away and stay away from others until you get those results. 

It’s important to get tested because at least 50 percent of people who have the virus have no symptoms, according to medical studies. That means they can unknowingly spread the virus to others who may be at high risk of getting severely ill from COVID-19 and end up in the hospital. 

We want to avoid any future spike and loss of lives. We must not overwhelm our hospitals’ doctors, nurses and all other healthcare personnel who have been doing heroic work nonstop since March to save COVID-19 patients. 

Please, don’t get complacent during this pandemic. 

Do your part. Get tested. Save lives. 

Click here for a list of free testing sites and to make an appointment.