As of May 4, the Florida Department of Health in Citrus County (DOH-Citrus) has expanded its testing for COVID-19 to get a clearer picture of how many residents may currently have the virus and guide decisions about reopening the county.

Testing is still being prioritized following the CDC guidelines; however, individuals without symptoms may now be considered for testing through DOH-Citrus.

Testing is offered at no cost and by appointment only to ensure that time slots are available, to increase the speed of the actual testing process and so that you receive important instructions.

To make an appointment, call 352-527-0068 weekdays between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Note that call-takers will ask a series of questions. This is to help determine the best testing resource for each individual.

DOH-Citrus viral tests check samples from your respiratory system to tell you if you currently have an infection. If you test positive, you will be contacted by DOH-Citrus and provided instructions.

Antibody tests are not available at DOH-Citrus.

Test results are not immediate. It usually takes 3-7 days, and in some cases up to 10 days. In the meantime, persons who were ill at the time they took the test should self-isolate until the diagnosis is known. All residents, including those who are asymptomatic, are reminded to wear face coverings while around other people in public.

There are also additional testing sites in Citrus County:

• Langley   Health   Services at 151 E. Highland Blvd. Suite 151. Staff can be contacted at 352-419-5760.
• Quick Care Med: Schedule a telemedicine appointment by visiting https://www.quickcaremed.com/. Staff can be contacted at 844-797-8425.

According to the latest report, 1,772 people have been tested in Citrus County. Of those, 1,670 have been negative and 99 have been positive. 

You can find this information on the Florida Department of Health's COVID-19 Data and Surveillance Dashboard: https://floridahealthcovid19.gov/. Scroll down and click on "see dashboard," select Citrus County at the top of the page and click on "Florida Testing" at the bottom. This is information is updated once per day.

For more information about DOH-Citrus, visit www.CitrusCountyHealth.org or follow us on Twitter at @FLHealthCitrus.