Free coronavirus testing in Port St. Lucie ends early following dispute over protective gear

Free COVID-19 testing in Port St.

Lucie shut down hours early Tuesday, but not because of a shortage of tests.

LACK OF TESTS.

IN FACT- THEREWERE STILL MORE THAN ATHOUSAND WERE STILL AVAILABLE.WPTV NEWSCHANNEL 5'S MEGHANMCROBERTS HAS THE DISPUTE THATENDED TESTING EARLY - SENDINGSOME HOME WITH QUESTIONS.THE GROUP DOING THE TESTINGSAID THEY WERE LEFT WITH NOCHOICE TO SHUT DOWNPREMATURELY.

SAYING THEY WEREFOLLOWING FDA GUIDELINES ONHOW TO CONDUCT MASS TESTING...CLAIMING ST LUCIE COUNTY'SPUBLIC SAFETY DIRECTOR... SAWTHINGS DIFFERENTLY.

DRIVERSLINED UP BY THE HUNDREDS THISWEEK& TO GET FREE COVID-19TESTS IN PORT ST.

LUCIE ACHANCE FOR THOSE EVEN WITHOUTSYMPTOMS TO CHECK THEIRHEALTH.“THIS IS PART OFGETTING FLORIDA BACK TO WORK.LETPOSSIBLE” KELLY ADELBERG ISTHE CHIEF OF OPERATIONS FORTREASURE COAST MEDICALASSOCIATES, INC.

HER MEDICALSTAFF VOLUNTEERED TO CONDUCTMORE THAN 1,000 TESTS GIVEN TOPORT ST.

LUCIE BY ST.

LUCIECOUNTY.

ADELBERG SAYS THECOUNTY DID NOT OTHERWISE HAVEA PLAN FOR HOW TO ADMINISTERTHE TESTS THEY WERE GIVEN.“THEY REALLY HAD NO EDUCATIONWHATSOEVER WHEN IT CAME TOCOVID-19 TESTING” SO SHE SAYSHER TEAM GOT EVERYTHING INORDER& EVEN USED THEIRCONTACTS TO GET THOUSANDS OFADDITIONAL AND MORE ACCURATETESTS.“WE WANTED TO HAVE ASMANY ACCURATE TESTS ASPOSSIBLE” BUT SHORTLY AFTERTESTING STARTED MONDAY-ADELBERG SAYS THE COUNTYPUBLIC SAFETY DIRECTOR RONPARRISH HAD COMPLAINTS.“THEFIRST DAY WAS THAT OUR MASKSWERE NOT PROPER.

WE WERENWEARING N-95S” SOMETHING NOTREQUIRED BY THE FDA.“THIS ISTHE ONE I HAD ON TODAY.

I HADTHESE SPECIALLY MADE.

THIS ISACTUALLY CONSIDERED A SURGICALMASK” THEN SHE SAYS THEREWERE MORE COMPLAINTS TUESDAY.“THE SECOND DAY RON WANTED TOHAVE EVERYONE CHANGE GLOVESFOR EVERY PERSON IN THEVEHICLE” SOMETHING ALSO NOTREQUIRED UNDER FDA GUIDELINES.“THE SAFE WAY TO DO IT IS TOSANITIZE YOUR HANDS WITH THEGLOVES ON IN BETWEEN”“BYFDA, THATDR. MICHAEL ADELBERG, CEO OFTHE ORGANIZATION, SAYS HETRIED TO WORK OUT A SOLUTION.“I SAID RON, THATGLOVES.

IT TRIPLES THE TIME INTHIS MASS SCREENING” DR.ADELBERG SAYS PARRISH TOLDTHEM TO SHUT DOWN IF THECHANGES WERE NOT MADE.“HE ISFOLLOWING A GUIDELINE THATDOESNSTOPPED THE TESTS.“HE CRUSHEDTHE COMMUNITY.

HE IMPEDINGTHOUSANDS OF PEOPLE FROM THEIRABILITY TO GO BACK TO WORK”WE REACHED OUT TO ST LUCIECOUNTY - A SPOKESPERSON SAIDIN A STATEMENT THERE WEREDISCUSSIONS REGARDING THEMETHODOLOGY IN THE TESTINGWHICH LEAD TO THE SITE CLOSINGEARLY... THE COUNTY ALSO SAYSTHEY DID NOT FORCE TESTING TOEND.

TREASURE COAST MEDICALASSOCIATES STILL PROCESSEDMORE THAN 1000 TESTS...ALL OFWHICH WERE THEOSE TESTS THEYOBTAINED ON THEIR OWN...POLICE TOOK THE COUNTY'S TESTSAND RETURNED THEM TO THECOUNTY TO BE USED AT A FUTURETESTING SITE.