Originally posted at MiamiHerald.com by Al Diaz on August 6, 2020
Coral Gables Fire Chief Marcos de la Rosa, speaks to the media at the War Memorial Youth Center in Coral Gables regarding for COVID-19 tests of first responders on Thursday, August 6, 2020.
Originally published at miami.cbslocal.com on August 6, 2020 by STEVEN “GOLDIE” GOLDSTEIN
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Coral Gables and Hialeah have set up COVID-19 testing sites for frontline workers.
At the Coral Gables site, the University of Miami was administering two types of tests for Coral Gables Police and Fire Department personnel.
It’s all on a voluntary basis. Still, Marcos de la Rosa, deputy chief of the Coral Gables Fire Department, expected a big turnout.
De la Rosa appreciates the collaboration that went into creating spaces to test those on the front lines.
“This is a great project for us to be able to see the prevalence within our workforce and how we can best protect them and also protect our community,” he said. “So we thank the University of Miami for giving us this opportunity to participate.”
First responders were able to come after their shifts to get the antibody tests, which may show if a person previously had COVID-19. They could also test to prove current infection.
In Hialeah, free coronavirus drive-thru testing for first responders was set up at Hialeah Fire Station 1.
It was an effort led by Miami-Dade Commissioner Esteban Bovo, in part, to show appreciation for the work they’re doing.
“They are the unsung heroes that are on a daily basis in our community. Either serving calls or attending to issues that many of us don’t want to be involved in. So again, I want to thank them,” he said.
Making testing available and keeping frontline workers healthy will be an ongoing process, but one that lets them know how important they are.