State-Run COVID-19 Testing Sites In Sarasota To Close

SARASOTA, FL — The two state-run COVID-19 testing sites in Sarasota will close for good, the city of Sarasota said in a news release.

The walk-up testing site at the Robert L. Taylor Community Complex will stop testing for coronavirus at the end of the business day Friday. Meanwhile, the drive-thru testing site at the Sarasota Kennel Club on Old Bradenton Road will cease operations at the close of business Sunday.

The closures are based on low demand, according to state officials. All state-run testing sites in Florida are expected to close by May 28.

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Until the sites are closed, free testing remains available daily from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Robert L. Taylor Complex and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Sarasota Kennel Club.

Residents and visitors are also encouraged to visit CVS , Walgreens or other local pharmacies that provide COVID-19 testing, the city said.

Since opening in May 2020, the Robert L. Taylor site has conducted more than 140,000 COVID-19 tests, the city said.

The site was created through a partnership with the Florida Division of Emergency Management, the Florida Department of Health, the Florida National Guard, Sarasota County and the city of Sarasota, and coordinated by State Rep. Wengay Newton and NAACP Sarasota Branch President Trevor Harvey.

The drive-thru site at the Sarasota Kennel Club was added in December 2020 as a replacement for the Cattlemen Road site that closed.

For more information on coronavirus vaccines in Florida, see the Florida Patch COVID-19 vaccination page.