The Lot J testing site in Jacksonville set a testing record Thursday according to Mayor Lenny Curry in a provided statement.
This comes after reports of a surge in positive cases along the First Coast.
Curry correlated the surge in positive COVID-19 cases to a rise in the number of people being tested for the virus.
“Just yesterday, 783 people were tested at Lot J, setting a record since it first opened," he explains in a pre-prepared statement sent to First Coast News. "The Legends Center tested 270. Across the City, multiple private locations tested hundreds more for COVID-19. As a result, our positive test results are increasing, and we are aware that most of those individuals are asymptomatic or experiencing mild symptoms.”
He says the community spread is real and that without proper precautions, it could possibly get worse.
"...There are people in crowded bars and walking on crowded streets who are not wearing masks and ignoring social distancing,” he said. “Thankfully, despite our increase in cases, our hospitals are not seeing spikes of COVID-19 patients."
He says a large portion of the increased cases we're seeing are from what’s called “household spread” which means one individual is taking this virus home and spreading it through the entire household.
"All citizens should continue to practice social distancing, wear masks in crowded, public spaces and wash your hands frequently," he says. "If you test positive, you need to self-isolate for 14 days.”
It should be noted that this was a pre-prepared statement by the City of Jacksonville sent to First Coast News via email. Our outlet was not invited to ask Mayor Curry any follow-up questions.
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