FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 17, 2020
Santa Clara County, CA – The County of Santa Clara’s Valley Medical Center continues to offer COVID-19 diagnostic testing next week at additional locations with drop-in and appointment-based testing, with more appointment slots added due to high demand.
This week, appointment-only testing will be conducted in Los Gatos, Mountain View, Cupertino, Campbell and Milpitas. Appointments can be made starting three days in advance of the testing date until all slots are taken. Because these appointments filled up rapidly – most were booked within two days of availability – the County has upped the capacity and increased tests available per day from 600 to 750.
Pop-up, no-appointment testing will be conducted in San Jose and Gilroy.
“Like the pop-up sites, the appointment-based sites are proving to be very popular,” said Dr. Marty Fenstersheib, COVID-19 Testing Officer for the County of Santa Clara. “It’s a good fit for folks who prefer a time slot in advance, especially if they live or work near the site. But we advise those seeking a time slot to act fast when reservations are available to secure an appointment at a time that best suits their schedule.”
APPOINTMENT-BASED TESTING SITES IN LOS GATOS, MOUNTAIN VIEW, CUPERTINO, CAMPBELL AND MILPITAS
Scheduled walk-up appointments are available Monday through Friday at various City locations for people without symptoms only. These can be scheduled online using a web browser other than Internet Explorer. Appointments can be scheduled starting three days before the testing date and open until all slots are filled.
To schedule an appointment, visit https://scl.fulgentgenetics.com/appointment.
Los Gatos
Los Gatos Adult Recreation Center, 208 E. Main St., Los Gatos, 95030
Monday, Aug. 17, 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Reservations open now.)
Mountain View
Center for the Performing Arts, 500 Castro St., Mountain View, 94041
Tuesday, Aug. 18, 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Reservations open now.)
Cupertino
Cupertino Senior Center, 21251 Stevens Creek Blvd., Cupertino, 95014
Wednesday, Aug. 19, 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Reservations for this site begin Sunday.)
Campbell
Orchard City Banquet Hall (in the Campbell Community Center), 1 W. Campbell Ave., Campbell, 95008
Thursday, Aug. 20, 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Reservations for this site begin Monday.)
Milpitas
Milpitas Sports Center, 1325 E. Calaveras Blvd., Milpitas, 95035
Friday, Aug. 21, 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Reservations for this site begin Tuesday.)
Future City testing sites will rotate daily through other cities in the county.
POP-UP TESTING SITES IN SAN JOSE AND GILROY
No appointments are needed for a free and easy nasal swab test at either of these pop-up locations.
San Jose
William C. Overfelt High School gymnasium – 1835 Cunningham Ave., San Jose, 95122
Tuesday to Friday, Aug. 18-21, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Saturday, Aug. 22, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Gilroy
South County Annex (formerly Del Buono Elementary) – 9300 Wren Avenue, Gilroy, 95020
Tuesday to Friday, Aug. 18-21, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Those seeking a test can check in at any of the pop-up sites and receive a wristband for an hour long time slot later in the day; they then can leave and return at the designated time to get tested. This significantly reduces the time spent waiting in line. However, the supply of wristbands depends on the number of available tests and are only available as supplies last. The County advises those interested in a test at a pop-up site to go earlier in the day rather than later to pick up a wristband. When the wristbands run out, people will be directed to other testing options nearby.
The 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 may change each week based on assessment of testing needs.
For those with health insurance, the County sites are not the only available opportunity to get a free COVID-19 test. Large healthcare systems such as Kaiser Permanente, Sutter/Palo Alto Medical Foundation and others are required by County order to offer free testing to members who:
- Have COVID-19 symptoms.
- Have had close contact with a person who tested positive for COVID-19.
- Are at higher risk of exposure to COVID-19 because they work in frontline settings.
Testing can identify COVID-19 before a person feels unwell or before they spread it to another individual with potentially deadly consequences.
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. Summary data are published on the County’s COVID-19 Testing Dashboards.
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.
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.
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Public Health Website: www.sccgov.org/coronavirus