Orange County Convention Center testing site to relax requirements, test more people for COVID-19

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — The Orange County Convention Center is now able to test more people for the coronavirus and has relaxed some of the requirements to be tested.

People who have respiratory symptoms but no fever or have been around someone who has tested positive will be able to get tested.

The convention center testing site will help 50 more people a day for a max of 400.

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Health care workers, first responders and those with underlying medical conditions will be able to be tested regardless of symptoms.

Officials at the testing site said even though the criteria have been relaxed, it’s possible the lines will not be as long as before due to other sites opening up at the University of Central Florida, in Brevard County and at the Daytona International Speedway.

At those sites, results are expected within 24 hours or three days at most.

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Results from the convention center tests take three to seven days.

“It just depends on what the lab's backload looks like, their backlog and then how quickly they're able to move through,” an official said.

The biggest difference between the convention center testing site and the others is the cost.

It is free for everyone to get tested at the convention center, and no insurance is needed.

Cox Media Group