Florida Governor Ron DeSantis was in Jacksonville Friday to give an update regarding antibody testing here on the First Coast a well as a first-of-it's kind transitional facility.
DeSantis said Jacksonville will start antibody testing for first responders, healthcare workers starting Saturday at TIAA Bank field testing site. It does involve a blood draw, but results will be delivered in under 15-minutes.
The testing will add a lane to the already established site for those specifically looking to get tested for COVID-19 antibodies, which he says is believed to help prevent the spread of the virus.
Additionally, DeSantis said Dolphin Pointe Health Care will serve as a transition point for people that have been diagnosed with COVID-19 that may no longer need to be admitted to hospital but are not quite ready to go back to their nursing home residences.
DeSantis said there are 17 patients currently at Dolphin Pointe that fit this criteria and that the facility expects to take in at least seven more in the next 48 hours.
He says that these individuals aren't just from Jacksonville but include people from as far away as Monticello. This interim transfer protocol is hoping to protect those living in nursing homes that are exceptionally vunerable to the virus.
Dolphin Pointe Health Center is a skilled nursing facility that has a direct partnership with Jacksonville University.