Santa Clara County opened a new COVID-19 testing site Tuesday at the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds in San Jose that will be able to test 1,000 people daily by the end of the week. It will have the ability to expand up to 5,000 tests per day - making it the largest test site in the Bay Area.
The new site will be run by Valley Medical Center and offers language services such as Spanish-speaking staff, and lanes dedicated to those who may need language assistance.
The fairgrounds site will also be used for large-scale flu shots in the fall and a COVID-19 vaccine site for when it becomes available, officials said.
“This testing site has tremendous potential for our residents in one-stop," said Board of Supervisors President Cindy Chavez. "Should a COVID-19 vaccine become available in the future, the county will need large service centers such as this to administer the vaccine. I'm very pleased to see this facility is in a central location serving residents countywide."
Currently there are 10 lanes that will be open, but that is expected to increase. Most will be used for drive-thru vehicle traffic, but some lanes will be dedicated to walk-up and bicycle traffic as well.
"Testing continues to be one of the most important tools we have to protect our community from COVID-19 and to identify the harder hit sectors of our society," said Santa Clara County Health Officer and Director of Public Health Dr. Sara Cody.The drive-thru testing site will be suitable for residents who show symptoms or are asymptomatic.
The county also has more than 50 COVID-19 testing locations that rotate daily among different cities.
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County testing sites are open to all residents regardless of insurance or immigration status. They do not require a doctor's note or payment, but some may require an appointment.
To find testing sites in the county, click here.
