Lack of social distancing creates worry at CenturyLink test site in south Fort Myers

The growing number of coronavirus cases in Southwest Florida has more people in the region getting tested for it, but people are worried some test sites could be superspreader havens. People say those getting tested are not social distancing, and some are not wearing masks.

The COVID-19 test site at CenturyLink Sports Complex in south Fort Myers recently switched from a drive-up site to a walk-up site, bringing more concern to those who go to get tested there. We spoke to people Tuesday who are worried about this change.

Everyone waiting in line at the CenturyLink site wants the same thing, a rapid-results COVID-19 test.

“We were on a plane ourselves and felt this was the proper thing to do,” Lindley Bell said.

“I have a family member that is very immunocompromised, so I’m trying to stay up to date with testing,” Arel Sinette said.

While the lines look long, the people who run the test site say the wait times are about 30 minutes because more staff was assigned. But 30 minutes is plenty of time to contract the virus from someone in line.

While some people are socially distanced, others are not.

“This is why we’re having these superspreaders in cities,” Sinette said. “It’s kind of a terrifying experience to see since the cases are on the rise again.”

After telling Florida Division of Emergency Management about what our crew saw at the test site the last several days, leaders asked the site manager to enforce social distancing.

“It worries me,” Rob Summers said. “But if anyone stands close to me, I say, ‘Hey, six feet, and I mean it.’ I say six feet because I wanna stay safe.”

Summers is an actor, a job that requires him to get a test at least once a week.

“The vaccine is coming, but in the meantime, do this, and we can keep safe, and we can keep open,” Summers said.

The site manager also told us his crew will put down markers as soon as possible to keep people socially distanced.

Reminder: Appointments at CenturyLink’s test site don’t guarantee you will be seen at that time. The test site recommends arriving 30 minutes early.

Florida Division of Emergency Management statement

The Division is committed to the safety of visitors and staff on site at all state-supported testing sites. We have spoken with the site vendor, Curative, to remind them to enforce social distancing. If individuals visiting the site have concerns about the operations of the site, we encourage them to contact the Division here. 

Additionally, over the last few months, the Division has evaluated sites and made changes to improve efficiency, including contracting with Curative at CenturyLink. During this change, it was determined that a walk-up site would improve operations and fit the community’s needs the best. The state continually evaluates site performance and is prepared to make adjustments at the site if needed.