Manatee County Health Department will host a drive through specimen collection site for patients with a prescription at the Bradenton Area Convention Center from Thursday, March 26 through Sunday, March 29. There are 200 specimen collection kits for the four-day event. The Department of Health will schedule 50 appointments for each of the four days. Specimens collected at the site will be sent to labs for testing.Visitors to the collection site must have a prescription to be tested for COVID-19 and have made an appointment in advance with Manatee County Health Department. Everyone who arrives at the drive-thru must: be in a vehicle (no walk-up patients will be seen), drivers must remain in their vehicles at all times. Drivers must present a photo ID and a prescription for specimen collection, written by their health care provider (name on ID and prescription must match. Anyone in Manatee County who believes they may have COVID-19 should call the Manatee Health Line at 941-242-6649 before calling 9-1-1- or visiting a hospital emergency room.

The site will be open from 10 am to 4 pm Thursday through Sunday.  To make an appointment, call (941) 748-0747.

For more current information.