Broward will soon offer free at-home rapid test kits at libraries. Here’s where to get one

Broward County is gearing up to offer at-home COVID rapid test kits to its residents at local libraries as cases proliferate across South Florida.

Beginning Thursday, a limited supply of kits will be given to people who can show proof of Broward County residency, the county said in a release Wednesday. The tests will be distributed outside nine public libraries and are expected to go rapidly.

Only two kits will be allowed per household and the county requests that everyone wear a face covering as they get their test.

The move follows Miami-Dade County offering take-home rapid tests at 27 public libraries. On Monday, kits were distributed, and most had already run out of the allocated 90,000 tests the county had to give by afternoon. Miami-Dade also gave out more than 12,000 tests at its libraries on Christmas Eve.

It remains unclear how many kits Broward has secured or if the county will get more of them in the future. The county received the shipment of kits Wednesday evening through a partnership with the Florida Department of Health in Broward.

Check out where you can get an at-home rapid test in Broward:

▪ African American Research Library & Cultural Center, 2650 Sistrunk Blvd. in Fort Lauderdale, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursday and Friday.

▪ Hollywood Branch, 2600 Hollywood Blvd. in Hollywood, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursday and Friday.

▪ Miramar Branch Library & Education Center, 2050 Civic Center Place in Miramar, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursday and Friday.

▪ North Regional/Broward College Library, 1100 Coconut Creek Blvd. in Coconut Creek, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursday and Friday.

▪ Northwest Branch Library, 1580 NW Third Ave. in Pompano Beach, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursday and Friday.

▪ Northwest Regional Library, 3151 N University Drive in Coral Springs, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday.

▪ Southwest Regional Library, 16835 Sheridan St. in Pembroke Pines, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday.

▪ Sunrise Dan Pearl Branch, 10500 W Oakland Park Blvd. in Sunrise, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursday and Friday.

▪ West Regional Library, 8601 W Broward Blvd. in Plantation, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursday and Friday.

Rapid antigen tests work with saliva samples. And while the PCR coronavirus test is the standard given by medical professionals, the rapid tests are more accurate than first thought.