TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — Health Care workers at both the FAMU testing site and Neighborhood Medical Center expect to see cases rise through the holiday.
Even still they say enjoy the holiday festivities, but make sure you're doing it safely.
"I'm definitely excited and the kids are too," Shavoun McMillan said.
McMillan and her kids have never been to a Tallahassee 4th of July celebration in the two years they've lived in the city.
With thousands expected to be back at Tom Brown Park for the second year back since the pandemic, McMillan says she's excited that live events are becoming more common once again.
"We'll definitely come through. It is exciting you know, we've been cooped up for so long, you know, you get to go outside now and adventure," McMillan said.
While McMillan and other Tallahassee-ians prepare for a fun weekend in Florida's Capital City, those who have been working to keep the community safe say they're still seeing a rise in COVID-19 cases across Leon County, but say enjoy the holiday weekend safely.
"When you're outside, it's not easily transmitted, it's more so of a problem when you're inside with a large amount of people," Tanya Tatum said.
Tatum, who oversees the Florida A&M testing site says, their site is coming back with a 23 percent positivity rate; those numbers reflective of the 1,180 new COVID-19 cases in Leon County from June 10 to June 16.
That number according the Florida Department of Health.
"We still have to understand that people may be asymptomatic, so you still have to be aware of your surroundings, there are still vulnerable people in our community that we still need to protect," Jennae Freeman said.
Freeman, CEO of Neighborhood Medical Center in Tallahassee, adds that they've also seen an increase in COVID-19 cases at their clinics around the city, but agrees with the sentiment of "having fun while staying safe."
Something that McMillian says they plan on doing.
If you want to get tested, the FAMU testing site will be closed starting this Saturday and will reopen on Tuesday.
