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Website error causes COVID-19 testing confusion at Lantana site

At the time, the county’s website did not mention the testing site was closed for the holidays
Lantana COVID testing site.png
Posted at 4:07 PM, Dec 24, 2021
and last updated 2021-12-25 15:41:25-05

LANTANA, Fla. — As some people search for last minute holiday gifts, others are trying to get tested for COVID-19 like Chris Yonkers.  

“Just want to go back to work, go back to a normal life,” he said.  

Yonkers said he checked a Palm Beach County website that lists testing locations and went to a Florida Department of Health office on Southwinds Drive in Lantana.

At the time, the county’s website did not mention the site was closed for the holidays. 

“There were other test locations that were closed or listed as closed," said Yonkers. "This one wasn’t one of them, so I figured this would be open and it’s not.”

While at the Lantana office, we noticed a steady flow to people trying to get tested but leaving frustrated and learning the testing site is not open.  
“Cars keep coming in and they keep driving around the building and they’re leaving, probably seen about 50 cars, everyone thinks it’s open,” said Yonkers.  

Edwin Mejia brought his father to site to get tested.  

“It didn’t say it was going to be closed,” he said. “There’s nobody here, I don’t know what happened.”  

A sign we spotted near one of the vacant tents advertised an alternate testing site at the Mid County Senior Center in Palm springs.

We went there and found that location closed as well for the holidays, but not listed as closed on the county's website.  

A spokesperson with Palm Beach County told Contact 5 it appears time changes inputted to reflect the closures did not carry over to the website.  

The county updated the site after we brought it to their attention and the spokesperson told Contact 5 that they apologize for any inconvenience.  
To visit the county's testing site ,click here.

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