FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 5, 2020
Other Opportunities in San José, Milpitas, Morgan Hill, Santa Clara, Saratoga, and Los Altos Hills
Santa Clara County, CA – Starting Tuesday, COVID-19 testing at the County of Santa Clara drop-in testing site at Emmanuel Baptist Church in San Jose will be done via an observed self-administered nasal swab – a testing method that has proven simple and successful in other communities and has the potential to increase the number of people getting tested.
“This is an easy and accurate self-administered test that is successfully used throughout the country,” said Dr. Marty Fenstersheib, COVID-19 Testing Officer for the County of Santa Clara. “People who come to this site for a test will be shown a video demonstrating the process and our staff will observe the sample collection to ensure it is done correctly. Our nurses will still be on hand to help children, seniors, and others who need assistance.”
In addition, COVID-19 testing hours are expanding at the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds mass-testing facility, which will begin operating seven days a week with extra hours from 7 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. during the peak mid-week period -- increasing testing capacity to 5,000 on those days.
Fenstersheib said an increasing test positivity rate – from 2 percent to 4 percent in the past month – shows the rapidly rising prevalence of the virus and underscores the importance of testing.
“We need to all work together to prevent the spread of the virus,” said Fenstersheib. “That means wearing a mask, social distancing, avoiding gatherings, and abiding by all County and State Health Orders. And it means testing, whether you have symptoms or not, but may have been exposed or are an essential worker.”
For those with healthcare coverage, systems such as Kaiser Permanente, Sutter/Palo Alto Medical Foundation and others are required by County order to offer free testing to symptomatic persons, persons who have been exposed to a confirmed COVID-19 case, and all “essential workers.” Examples of “essential workers” include teachers, healthcare workers, grocery store clerks, and persons who work in agriculture or food manufacturing.
Next week, appointment-only COVID-19 testing will be conducted at sites in Milpitas, Morgan Hill, Santa Clara, Saratoga, and Los Altos Hills. Appointments can be made starting seven days in advance of the testing date until all slots are reserved at www.sccfreetest.org. Appointment-based testing is also available in San José at the Fairgrounds, with appointments now available five days in advance. Testing is free at all these sites. Appointments are essential for reserving a testing slot.
APPOINTMENT-BASED TESTING SITES — Make an appointment by visiting www.sccfreetest.org and clicking on “Schedule an Appointment Today”
Text message results are available at appointment-based County of Santa Clara testing facilities and an influenza test is included.
San José
Santa Clara County Fairgrounds Parking Lot A (across from the blue arch) - Drive-through, bike, and walk-up appointments
Across the street from the Fairgrounds main entrance, 344 Tully Road, San José, CA 95111
Appointment hours: Monday, Dec. 7, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Tuesday to Thursday, Dec. 8 – 10, 7 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Friday, Dec. 11, 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 12-13, 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Milpitas
Milpitas Sports Center, 1325 E. Calaveras Blvd., Milpitas, 95035
By appointment only for Monday, Dec. 7, 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Morgan Hill
Morgan Hill Council Chamber Building, 17555 Peak Ave., Morgan Hill, 95037
By appointment only for Tuesday, Dec. 8, 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Santa Clara
Santa Clara Central Park Library, 2635 Homestead Road, Santa Clara, 95051
By appointment only for Wednesday, Dec. 9, 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Saratoga
Saratoga Friendship Hall, 19848 Prospect Road, Saratoga, 95070
By appointment only for Thursday, Dec. 10, 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Los Altos Hills
Los Altos Hills Council Chambers, 26379 Fremont Blvd., Los Altos Hills
By appointment only for Friday, Dec. 11, 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
POP-UP TESTING SITES – No appointments needed and only for people without symptoms. Influenza test is NOT included.
San José
Emmanuel Baptist Church, 467 N. White Road, San Jose, 95127
Tuesday to Friday, Dec. 8 – Dec. 11, 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Gilroy
South County Annex (formerly Del Buono Elementary) – 9300 Wren Avenue, Gilroy, 95020
Tuesday to Friday, Dec. 8 – Dec. 11, 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
In order to facilitate the testing process and reduce waiting times, staff may distribute wristbands that will correspond to specific testing time windows. When patients receive a wristband, they may be asked to return during their assigned testing window. Once all wristbands have been handed out, the testing site can no longer take additional patients for the day.
The County test sites provide COVID-19 tests free of charge, regardless of immigration status, and no doctor’s note is needed. At some County test sites, people with insurance may be asked to provide their insurance information, so that payment from the insurance company can be collected. However, patients won’t be billed for any co-pay, deductible, or any other cost for testing. Those without health insurance or those who do not provide insurance information can still get a test at those sites.
For people without COVID-19 symptoms, the County currently offers indoor and drive-through sites. People with symptoms are directed to drive-through sites to reduce the chance of getting others sick.
For more information on testing rights, see our Frequently Asked Questions page. The County also collects and publishes data on testing by large healthcare systems: www.sccgov.org/sites/covid19/Pages/dashboard-testing.aspx#hstesting.
County test sites and additional sites operated by other organizations are mapped on the County’s website at www.sccfreetest.org. The site is available in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese, and Tagalog. Information is also available by calling 2-1-1.
# # #
Follow our Twitter for updates: @HealthySCC
Public Health Facebook: www.facebook.com/sccpublichealth
Public Health Website: www.sccgov.org/coronavirus