The county announced today the re-opening of pools, playgrounds, pavilions, courts, multi-purpose fields (soccer/lacrosse/football), fishing piers and splash pads beginning Friday, May 22. This decision was based on the continued voluntary compliance and the community’s greater awareness for Centers for Disease Control guidelines.  Staff will be onsite to help encourage following the CDC guidelines, including social distancing.  Parks staff have placed additional signs advising of CDC guidelines at all sites. Additional details about the re-openings set for the coming weekend: Multi-purpose fields (soccer, lacrosse and football) will reopen with no league play, benches or bleachers. Activities on the multi-purpose fields [Read More.]

Quest Diagnostics will open a new COVID-19 drive-through test site in the Walmart parking lot at 4770 Colonial Blvd. and a second test site in the Walmart parking lot at 545 Pine Island Road, North Fort Myers, on May 15. Individuals must be 18 years of age or older to be tested and meet CDC and state and local guidelines for who should be tested.  This includes first responders, health care providers and others with symptoms of COVID-19 and those in high risk groups without symptoms.  There is no out-of-pocket cost for individuals. You must first qualify for COVID-19 screening [Read More.]

If it has been at least five days since you were tested for COVID-19 at the CenturyLink Stadium and you have not received a call with the results, you may contact: Dr. Eric Pantaleon, Medical Associates Network, 954-239-8167 or 954-239-8806. Previously distributed information on how to get test results erroneously included contact information for Genetworx Lab.  Please do not call the Genetworx Lab, which cannot give out test results.

Residents who want to drop off household chemicals for proper disposal can resume bringing their old paint, antifreeze, motor oil and solvents to the Lee County facility designed to accept these and other materials next week. The Topaz Court Solid Waste Annex, 6441 Topaz Court, Fort Myers, will reopen at 8 a.m. Monday, for residential chemical waste and electronics drop off. The county had previously closed the site to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19. There is no charge to residents for the service. For a list of what people can bring to the site, visit www.leegov.com/solidwaste/residential/dispose/chemicals. Also opening Monday [Read More.]

The COVID-19 test site at the CenturyLink Stadium is to test for the COVID-19 virus; it is not a testing site for antibodies.  This site is for those that believe that they currently have COVID-19.  Here is what you need to know before going to the testing site: You will wait in a long line; it is an approximate two-hour processing time from the front gate to the final test tent. You must bring a valid photo ID for everyone being tested. Only people 18 years and older can be tested. Bring a face covering/mask, you must cover your mouth [Read More.]

There are two locations in Lee County for coronavirus testing. One is located at the CenturyLink Sports Complex, 14100 Six Mile Cypress Parkway, in Fort Myers. Testing will be free and begin there on Monday, May 4. Drive-through testing will start at 9 a.m. through 5 p.m., Monday through Friday for an indefinite period. You don’t need a doctor’s order or to be exhibiting symptoms to be tested at this site. The other site is located at the Walmart at 2524 Lee Boulevard in Lehigh Acres. This site is scheduled to be open from 7 a.m. – 10 a.m. and there is a fee. You [Read More.]

South County Regional Library patrons will be able to pick up materials being held for them as the Lee County Library System starts contactless, curbside pickup on April 29. The library is located at 21100 Three Oaks Parkway. To use contactless, curbside pickup, patrons with holds available for pick up can drive to the main entrance of the library, stay in their car, and call the telephone number provided on the signs at the location. The staff member who answers will ask the patron for their library card number, check out their materials and bring them out to the designated [Read More.]

The Lee County Board of County Commissioners voted to re-open county parks and preserves including all beaches and beach access points, parking lots and free-standing bathrooms. Staff will be onsite to help encourage following the CDC guidelines, including social distancing. Parks and preserves will open with regular hours Wednesday, April 29. This is part of the county’s phased-in approach for residents while still observing the Governor’s Executive Order. Commissioners offered guidelines and stressed it is imperative that residents remain vigilant to continue to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. The county beach sites include: Beach Parks Bonita Beach Park Bowditch Point [Read More.]

The Village of Estero would like to acknowledge a major step toward protecting the environment of Florida, particularly Southwest Florida. On Friday, the Army Corps of Engineers signed off on a permit to build a 6,500-acre marsh south of Lake Okeechobee, and the South Florida Water Management District had their construction crews at the site on Monday. When completed, the marsh will work together with a 10,100-acre reservoir the Corps is building in the same area to filter the water before it moves south into the Everglades. Together, they form the Everglades Agricultural Area Reservoir. The marsh is expected to [Read More.]