Tested and treated right on the spot.
That's California's new initiative as COVID cases rise.
San Mateo County is one of the first in getting a testing center where qualified individuals can get medications right on site. The testing centers are expected to roll out across the Bay Area.
The test and treat center at the College of San Mateo is one of five locations open across the state. The state by next week hopes to transform all of its OptumServe sites into places certain people can show up, get tested and get meds.
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People across the Peninsula have been showing up to the college to get tested for COVID-19 for months now, but many will now have access to treatment.
"I feel way more comfortable knowing that where I get tested I can get taken care of immediately," Natali Aguirre, a College of San Mateo student.
Dr. Curtis Chan with the San Mateo County Health Department said the test and treat sites can be a huge game changer as cases have continued to rise during the past four weeks.
"The baseline case rates are very high right now," Chan said. "So the likelihood that you can have COVID is much more likely than if you have the common cold."
San Mateo County as of Thursday reported a 4.7% positivity rate. In the past 30 days, the cities with the most cases on the Peninsula are San Mateo, Redwood City and South San Francisco.
Several CVS locations and health centers are also acting as test and treat locations. The center at the College of San Mateo is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.
