Osceola County COVID-19 Update: Multiple Sites to Open for Testin...

Published on August 27, 2021

PR21-84

Osceola County COVID-19 Update: Multiple Sites to Open for Testing and Vaccinations

Osceola County, Florida – Osceola County is partnering with Nomi Health to provide walk-up COVID-19 testing beginning next week. The no-cost community testing sites will provide rapid antigen tests at various locations throughout the County.

No appointments are needed for these locations, however patients may pre-register their information beginning September 1 at http://testing.nomihealth.com/signup/fl.

The dates and locations include:

• Wednesday, September 1 - Poinciana Library from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m.
  101 N. Doverplum Avenue, Kissimmee
  *Open Wednesdays only. Beginning Wednesday, September 8, hours are 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• Friday, September 3 - 65th Infantry Park from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m.
  301 Buenaventura Boulevard, Kissimmee (Buenaventura Lakes)
  *Open daily. Beginning Saturday, September 4, hours are 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• Monday, September 6 - St. Cloud Library from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m.
  810 13th Street, St. Cloud
  *Open Mondays only. Beginning Monday, September 13, hours are 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• Tuesday, September 7 - West Osceola Library from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m.
  305 Campus Street, Celebration
  *Open Tuesdays only. Beginning Tuesday, September 14, hours are 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Testing sites will operate under the following guidelines:

• Results are shared with the patient via email.
• Turnaround times for antigen tests are 20-40 minutes and for PCR testing, within 48 hours.
• Patients are allowed one test per individual per day. If a patient tests positive on their antigen test, medical staff will conduct a PCR test as a follow up.
• Tests are available for individuals 1 year or older.

COVID-19 testing continues to be available daily at Osceola Heritage Park. The appointment-only, walk-up community site is open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. to provide free PCR testing. To make an appointment, visit https://curative.com/sites/31240.

Testing is also available at the Florida Department of Health in Osceola and local pharmacies. Information on testing locations throughout Osceola is available at www.Osceola.org/covid19testing.

COVID-19 vaccinations are widely available at local pharmacies – such as CVS, Walgreens, Publix and Walmart; urgent care facilities and provider offices. The Florida Department of Health also offers vaccinations at no cost. Find vaccination locations at www.Osceola.org/covid19vaccinations.

The School District of Osceola County has partnered with Prescriptions Unlimited to offer four vaccination clinics for those 12 years or older who are looking to get the vaccine for the first time.

To sign up for an appointment, visit https://form.jotform.com/rxunlimited/SDOC.

The dates and locations are:

• Tuesday, August 31 - Celebration High School from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.
  1809 Celebration Boulevard, Celebration
  * Return for your second dose on September 21
• Wednesday, September 1 - St. Cloud High School from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.
  2000 Bulldog Lane, St. Cloud
  *Return for your second dose on September 22
• Thursday, September 2 - Liberty High School from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.
  4250 Pleasant Hill Road, Kissimmee
  * Return for your second dose on September 23
• Wednesday, September 8 - Gateway High School from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.
  93 Panther Paws Trail, Kissimmee
  * Return for your second dose on September 29

The Florida Department of Health’s COVID-19 Weekly Situation Report continues to show an increase in local cases, with current data for August 13 to August 19, noting an increase of 2,676 cases reported with 22.4 percent of new case positivity. Among Osceola residents 12 and older, 71 percent have received at least one shot. The weekly report is published every Friday. (Today’s report with new data has not been published at this time.) For more information on COVID-19 data, please visit https://floridahealthcovid19.gov/.

Florida Department of Health (FDOH) in Osceola reminds the community that monoclonal antibody treatments (MAB) can prevent hospitalization or death in high-risk patients with COVID-19 and are widely available in Florida. Individuals 12 years and older who are high-risk, that have contracted or been exposed to COVID-19, are eligible for this treatment. Treatment is free and vaccination status does not matter. Learn more at https://floridahealthcovid19.gov/.

FDOH-Osceola is working together with our community partners to offer COVID-19 vaccination and educational events. Osceola County community or faith-based organizations, businesses or schools interested in hosting a vaccination event should submit an event request by visiting http://osceola.floridahealth.gov/about-us/expanded-alert-3.html.

Outreach events include:

• Saturday, August 28 -- FDOH-Osceola will join St. Luke Missionary Baptist Church of Kissimmee located at 400 E. Columbia Avenue from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. to provide COVID-19 vaccinations.

• Saturday, September 18 -- St. Cloud Health Annual Health Fair at the St. Cloud Civic Center and hosted by the City of St. Cloud, offering vaccinations from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Currently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that moderately to severely immunocompromised people receive an additional dose of vaccine. This includes people who have:

• Been receiving active cancer treatment for tumors or cancers of the blood.
• Received an organ transplant and are taking medicine to suppress the immune system.
• Received a stem cell transplant within the last 2 years or are taking medicine to suppress the immune system.
• Moderate or severe primary immunodeficiency (such as DiGeorge syndrome, Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome)
• Advanced or untreated HIV infection.
• Active treatment with high-dose corticosteroids or other drugs that may suppress the immune response.

CDC recommends the additional dose of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine be administered at least four weeks after a second dose of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. People with compromised immune systems should talk to their healthcare provider about their medical condition and whether getting an additional dose is appropriate for them. If their healthcare provider is not administering vaccines, they should visit https://floridahealthcovid19.gov/ to locate a vaccine provider in Osceola or surrounding counties.

Additionally, the CDC has announced that booster shots will be available late September for the general public. It is recommended that individuals with healthy immune systems receive their booster shot 8 months after their second dose. For more information, visit