JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — On Tuesday, Gov. Ron DeSantis visited a testing site in Sarasota to give an update regarding the state's COVID-19 response.
He was joined by Division of Emergency Management Director Jared Moskowitz and the head of training and operations for the Florida National Guard.
During the press conference, DeSantis said that the state has received 200,000 COVID-19 antibody tests that are being distributed throughout the state.
He also said he's working with his wife, First Lady Casey DeSantis, to lift all limits on behavioral health and mental services through Medicaid during the COVID-19 pandemic. He says this will help lift the burden placed on many individuals with mental health issues during these tough times.
DeSantis says his team will unveil detailed plans regarding a mobile testing lab that will be deployed in the state starting this week. The lab will provide 45-minute rapid tests with about 3,500 tests will be available each week. The governor says long term care facilities will be serviced by the lab first.
DeSantis also said that 11 drive-thru testing sites will open throughout the state this week sponsored by companies such as Walmart and Walgreens.
He said over 50 teams of National Guardsmen have been going into longterm care facilities all over the state to identify clusters of infections with asymptomatic staff.
Under an order signed Monday, DeSantis said residents being sent back to a long term care facility after being hospitalized needs a negative test before they are permitted to return.
This comes one day after DeSantis said there will be an investigation into the state's unemployment system, CONNECT, which became a source of frustration for thousands of Floridians seeking unemployment benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic.
DeSantis said he will direct Chief Inspector General Melinda Miguel to investigate how the CONNECT system was paid for and to look over the different amendments in the contract.
The governor said a total of 72 servers were brought in to increase the system's capacity in order to keep up with the large influx of users applying for benefits.