NewsFlorida News

Actions

FAMU plans to open second test site for students, faculty

Posted at 7:34 PM, Jan 11, 2021
and last updated 2021-01-11 19:34:44-05

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — Florida A & M University plans to open a second COVID-19 test site to help offset some of the high numbers of people heading to Bragg Memorial stadium for testing.

As FAMU's Director of Student Health Services explains, the number of people visiting Bragg Memorial stadium has doubled after the holiday season.

"We have seen consistently since then pretty high numbers and we’ve averaged between 2,500 and over 3,000 individuals that have been tested every day," said Tatum.

The increased volume pushed the site to maximum capacity, and pushed leaders to come up with the new site in part, as a way to make more room to test people in the community.

"We know we have peak times when at the testing site at Brad and sometime so people have to wait 30 minutes some times 40 minutes in order to get tested hopefully we can shorten that.," said Tatum.

Students like Tashawna Thomas say they hope the second site will help them save time and feel safe in the classroom.

"If you went in between classes I feel like that would be very convenient," said Thomas, "especially if the line wasn’t that long. ... The actual test itself getting done is no more than 5 to 10 minutes max so the waiting in line is always the longest part."

The site is expected to process roughly 500 tests each day and open within a week at the Student Activity Center on South Adams Street.