They closed the Lakeland site Friday evening
Florida is closing half its monoclonal antibody therapy sites, forcing COVID-19 patients to seek free treatment at state-run sites further away or go to nearby hospitals and medical centers where the treatment can be costly.
Amid a sharp decline in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in Florida, at least 12 of the state’s 25 sites are slated to close less than three months after Gov. Ron DeSantis opened the first site in Jacksonville on August 12.
In an email obtained, a consultant for the Florida Department of Health lays out which sites will modify their operations over the next several weeks since “demand for monoclonal treatment has significantly decreased,” wrote Cindy Dick, Director of Public Health and Policy for CDR Maguire, the contractor providing the treatment at some of the sites.
Seven state sites were closed or targeted for closure by Friday, November 5, including Tampa, Lakeland and Sebring. The spreadsheet lists “no operational change” for the sites in Clearwater and Hudson. Operational adjustments for the Bradenton site are to “Reduce Operating Hours to Tuesday – Saturday & Monitor.”
The closures of so many sites is significant because it makes it harder for patients to get the treatment for free, an element Gov. Ron DeSantis constantly touted as he traveled the state opening these sites.
The governor and his office attacked an Associated Press story, and its reporter, for examining whether there were links between DeSantis’ promotion of monoclonal antibodies produced by Regeneron and investments into the company by his largest political donor. DeSantis’ press secretary Christina Pushaw also corrected news stories and reporters on Twitter that did not make it clear the treatment was free at state-run sites.