Santa Clara County leaders Friday morning announced the county would make 60,000 COVID-19 antigen tests available through drive-up locations across the county.
Those who live, work or attend school in the county may sign up through www.sccfreetest.org to get four at-home tests, the county said. Those able to secure an appointment may choose from one of the distribution locations for pick-up at a chosen time. The first slots will be available Saturday.
The drive-thru sites are: Hellyer County Park, 985 Hellyer Ave., San Jose; Martial Cottle Park, 5283 Snell Ave., San Jose; Vasona County Park, 333 Blossom Hill Road, Los Gatos; and Foothill College, 12345 El Monte Road, Los Altos Hills.
Each individual will be assigned a unique QR code that must be shown at the site to get the tests. Tests will not be available on a drop-in basis, the county said. Each person will get four iHealth COVID-19 Antigen Rapid Tests. The pick-up sites are designed for drive-thru but people can arrive without a vehicle and still get the tests as long as they have an appointment.
Miguel Márquez, chief operations officer for Santa Clara County, said: "Testing is key to knowing whether you have COVID, which should help limit the spread of the virus, and will help get people back to their normal lives by safely ending isolation or quarantine early with a negative test."
More than 15,000 appointments will be scheduled between Jan. 22 and Jan. 29, the county said.
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Last week, county Health Officer Dr. Sara Cody said the demand for COVID-19 tests was far exceeding the county's supply and thus she reiterated the need for returning to strict mask and vaccine guidance.
"While we are starting to see a decrease in the omicron surge, it is important to know that our prevalence of circulating COVID virus is still very very high,” said Dr. Jennifer Tong of the Santa Clara Valley Medical Center.
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The county also said it will deliver some tests to areas without internet access.
"It shows you the ongoing dedication of our county workforce to ensure the health and safety of our community, despite this ongoing disaster,” said Tong.
