Polk County COVID-19 Testing sites

Florida Department of Health has opened a 24-hour COVID-19 call center to answer questions you may have. Call 866-779-6121 or email covid-19@flhealth.gov. For more information on COVID-19, please visit The Florida Department of Health Website at www.floridahealth.gov. Polk County COVID-19 Hotline is 863-519-7911.

Drive-Thru Testing
BayCare Testing Centers: Haines City
(and Tampa, Carillon, New Port Richey)
Pre-screening is necessary before accessing any BayCare COVID-19 testing site.

Locations
Call before you go to any location.

Central Florida Health Care, Inc.
OVID-19 testing for ESTABLISHED CURRENT PATIENTS who are showing COVID-19 symptoms. If you meet the criteria above, please call 866.234.8534 for location information and more.

Lakeland Regional Health
Call your LRH provider (863.284.5000) or the hospital and ask to be connected to the Emergency Department (863.687.1100) ahead of time for any virus prevention instructions currently in place.

Polk County Health Department
Call before you come in and visit the Florida Department of Health’s suggestions if you think you may have been exposed to coronavirus.

Watson Clinic (863) 680-7977
High-risk patients are prioritized for testing; criteria and more info on their website.

Private Practices
We do not currently have information on whether specific private practices are doing COVID-19 testing. Call your provider before going in to see if they are offering COVID-19 testing.

Polk County Schools
PCPS will resume providing children with school breakfasts and lunches on Monday, March 30. Meals are available from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Monday-Friday, at specific sites serving as food distribution locations. Distribution is similar to lunch distribution during the summer.
IMPORTANT: Children may pick up a meal at ANY OF THE LOCATIONS where meals are offered. THEY DO NOT HAVE TO ATTEND THAT LOCATION. You can locate a distribution location at www.polkscoolsfl/lunchlocations.com.

General Help/Assistance Databases:
211 & United Way of Central Florida
Assistance finding food, paying house bills, accessing free childcare and other essential services. The caring staff will listen to each individual’s situation to provide information on available social services, community services and resources that include food assistance, medical clinics, foreclosure prevention, parenting info & special needs, senior services that include free “Sunshine” daily calls, services for teens and more. You can contact them www.uwfc.org/about2-1-1 or dial 211.

Aunt Bertha
Find food, health, housing, employment programs and other community resources in seconds. Aunt Bertha began with a simple idea – that every person and family should have one place online where they can find help in a time of need – and we’ve been transforming the way social services information is organized and delivered ever since. For people in need, Aunt Bertha is building the country’s most comprehensive online directory of social service organizations. By putting the information in their hands, we’re bringing dignity to the experience of finding help. And for organizations offering help, we are giving them tools and insights to deliver the right services to the right places and to do more with less. Visit www.AuntBerta.com and enter your zip code to find a vast array of services near you.

Food & Shelter Lighthouse Ministries
Shelter, Residential Services, Hope Centers, Thrift Stores. You can contact Lighthouse Ministries at 863-687-4076 or learn more about their services at www.lighthousemin.org

VISTE: Volunteers in Service to the Elderly
Transportation, Hot Meals, Groceries, In-Home Care, Activities for the elderly; you can contact Viste at 863-284-0828 or by visiting www.viste.org.

Unemployment Assistance
Florida’s Department of Economic Opportunity is home to the Reemployment Assistance Service Center. It is here that people can apply for benefits. The service is set up to provide “temporary wage replacement” to those who meet the eligibility requirements, according to its website. Here is who is eligible to receive state assistance: 1. Those who are quarantined by a medical professional or government agency. 2. Those who are laid off or sent home without pay for an extended period by their employer due to COVID-19 concerns. 3. Those who are caring for an immediate family member who is diagnosed with COVID-19. To find out if you’re eligible, visit the Florida Jobs website: http://www.floridajobs.org/Reemployment-Assistance-Service-Center/reemployment-assistance/claimants/apply-for-benefits.