A monoclonal antibody treatment site will open in the Barnstorm Theater in The Villages.
Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday announced the opening of the treatment center in the movie theater at Brownwood Paddock Square.
The treatment site will be open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and has the capacity to serve more than 300 patients per day.
The governor said the treatment center will help the state battle COVID-19.
Monoclonal antibody treatments can prevent hospitalization or death in high-risk patients with COVID-19 and are widely available in Florida, according to the Florida Department of Health. Individuals 12 years and older who are high-risk, that have contracted or been exposed to COVID-19, are eligible for this treatment. Treatment is free and vaccination status does not matter. Learn more here.
Sumter County has the highest vaccination rate in the state, but that hasn’t guaranteed protection from the Coronavirus.
“In Sumter, you’ve got a huge number of people who have gotten shots. But we’re still seeing the wave,” the governor said.
Since the pandemic began, Sumter County has recorded 11,718 COVID-19 cases and 284 deaths. The totals in Lake County and Marion County have been much higher.
