JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Christmas cheer and COVID-19 concerns, an unfortunate pairing for the second holiday season in a row.
“It’s been coming back around, so I just want to keep myself and (my) co-workers safe and healthy,” said Jacksonville resident Molly Pearson.
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As the omicron variant spikes across the country and in Florida, the uptick in cases led to a rush to get tested.
The line at the Telescope Health Neptune Beach site was so long, it closed hours early, around 1:35 p.m. on Thursday, after hitting max capacity. It doesn’t reopen again until Monday, Dec. 27.
All city-run sites remain closed for Christmas, so Pearson missed out. Luckily, she has a backup plan.
“Here was closed, but thankfully I had an appointment scheduled tomorrow at a CVS pharmacy,” she said.
If you’re able to get an appointment, places like Avecina Medical, CVS and Walgreens are offering testing on Christmas Eve. That’s where others like Josean Claudio got a test done before flying for the holidays.
“I’m traveling to Puerto Rico,” he said. “My family, we wear masks even if we are vaccinated.”
For those who will gather with friends and family for the holiday, infectious disease expert Dr. Mohammed Reza says you still have time to get the most reliable test.
“The test to do is the PCR; that’s the gold standard that we call it. If it’s positive, it’s truly positive,” he said. “The fallback is the antigen, the rapid antigen test.”
Rapid tests shouldn’t be the number one option, so if you use one, Reza says to be careful.
“Those tests are not as good of a test overall, especially if you’re not symptomatic,” he said. “But it’s something better than nothing.”
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According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s website on Thursday, the state of Florida saw over 26,000 new cases on Wednesday, and the Duval County Department of Health is warning of a Christmas surge.
For Pearson, she’s going to continue following safety guidelines.
“Everybody has their own opinion on wearing a mask or not,” she said. “I personally do it to protect myself, and if there was any underlying anything, I’m protecting others as well.”
Reza said still, the best way to be protected for the holidays is for the entire family to be vaccinated and boosted.