Florida

Miami Beach Offering Free Zika Testing For Residents, Those Who Work in Transmission Zone

Ground spraying continues in Zika battle

Residents and those who work in the "Zika transmission zone" on Miami Beach will get a chance to get tested for free to see if they have the virus.

Those who are eligible can go to the Miami Beach Police Department between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., as well as between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. Residents must bring a photo ID with them to be eligible.

At the same time, the city’s mosquito control unit conducted another round of ground spraying early Tuesday morning. Unlike aerial sprayings that used the controversial Naled pesticide, the ground spraying uses the organic BTI pesticide to target the mosquito larvae.

Eight new non-travel related Zika cases were confirmed in South Florida by state health officials on Monday.

Two of the cases were from Miami Beach and two were identified within Wynwood in late July but were recently confirmed, according to the Florida Department of Health.

Three of the cases are Miami-Dade residents but where the exposure occurred remains under investigation, officials said. The other case is a Palm Beach resident but that is also being investigated to determine where it occurred.

The eight new cases bring the total of non-travel related Zika infections in Florida to 64. Most of the cases have come from two "Zika Zones" in Wynwood and Miami Beach.

There are 86 Zika infections involving pregnant women and 621 travel-related infections.

Contact Us