FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 10, 2020
Temporary Sites Offer Easy, Convenient Tests
Santa Clara County, CA – The County of Santa Clara is offering additional access to COVID-19 diagnostic testing at two locations in San Jose and one in Gilroy next week.
The walk-up testing sites provide COVID-19 viral detection tests free of charge without an appointment, symptoms, insurance, or a doctor’s note, and regardless of immigration status. Locations change each week based on assessment of testing needs. With the ability to test up to 1,500 individuals per day--500 at each location--these pop-up sites promote the County’s objective of increasing the overall number of tests, especially in communities that have been hit hard by COVID-19.
POP-UP TESTING SITES NEXT WEEK IN SAN JOSE AND GILROY
No appointments are needed for a free and easy nasal swab test at any of these pop-up locations.
Tuesday to Friday, July 14-17, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.:
- County of Santa Clara Service Center Auditorium -- 1555 Berger Road, San Jose
- Independence High School - C Commons -- 617 N. Jackson Avenue, San Jose
Tuesday to Friday, July 14-17, 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday, July 18, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.:
- South County Annex (formerly Del Buono Elementary) 9300 Wren Avenue, Gilroy
“We continue our drive to make testing as easy and convenient as possible for all residents of Santa Clara County,” said Dr. Marty Fenstersheib, the County’s COVID-19 Testing Officer.
Testing can identify COVID-19 before a person feels unwell or before they spread it to another individual with potentially deadly consequences.
Although every Santa Clara County resident can now get a free nasal swab test, testing is especially encouraged for asymptomatic individuals who are at higher risk because they work in frontline settings or because they’ve had significant interaction with members of the public. This includes grocery store clerks, construction workers, retail associates, first responders, and other workers, as well as individuals who regularly ride public transit or have recently attended a mass gathering.
A June 10 Health Officer Order also requires large healthcare systems to offer testing to people they cover or patients they serve who fall into these groups, and data are published on the County’s COVID-19 Testing Dashboards.
There are currently more than 50 COVID-19 test locations in Santa Clara County, including those at community centers and schools, hospitals and clinics, and mobile testing centers.
The tests offered are viral detection tests, which diagnose a person who currently has the infection. Read more about the difference between viral detection tests and serology tests.
Take a video tour of a pop-up testing site to know what to expect.
For individuals experiencing symptoms or who have come into close contact with a person who has tested positive for COVID-19, the Public Health Department strongly recommends getting tested by calling a doctor or scheduling an appointment through one of the community-based drive-through sites.
County test sites and additional sites operated by other organizations are mapped on the County’s website at sccfreetest.org. The site is available in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese and Tagalog. Information is also available by calling 2-1-1.
B-roll of a pop-up testing site is available for use by news media:
Follow our Twitter for updates: @HealthySCC
Public Health Facebook: www.facebook.com/sccpublichealth
Public Health Website: www.sccgov.org/coronavirus