Monterey County hosting two new community testing sites for COVID-19
SALINAS, Calif. (KION) Monterey County will be launching two new testing sites in Salinas and Greenfield for COVID-19 after the governor of California announced the state is adding more than 80 community testing sites across the state.
In Salinas, Alisal High School, located at 777 Williams Road, will open on Wednesday, May 6, at 8 a.m.
In Greenfield, the Greenfield Branch of the Monterey County Free Libraries located at 315 El Camino Real, will open on Tuesday, May 5 at 8 a.m.
The testing sites will utilize nasal or throat swabs that will be collected. Samples will then be sent to an FDA approved laboratory for COVID-19 PCR testing.
Tests will be prioritized for healthcare providers, first responders and eventually other frontline and essential workers before any tests are available to the general public.
The general public will be allowed to register for an appointment the week of May 19th.
More information provided by the county here:
"Testing will be by appointment only. Appointments can be made by calling 1-888-634-1123 or visiting https://lhi.care/covidtesting. Please note that phone registration will only be used for people without internet access.
Individuals will need to provide their insurance card and valid identification at the time of check-in. A unique identification number will be provided for those that do not have a valid identification. For those without any insurance, the State will cover the full cost of testing. There is no out of pocket cost for anyone receiving service.
Test results will be available 36-48 hours after testing. Individuals with a positive COVID-19 test will be contacted by an OptumServe staff member. The Monterey County Health Department will also contact individuals with a positive COVID-19 result to initiate contact tracing and investigation process.
To determine where to locate new testing sites, the state looked at both rural and urban areas where Californians would have to travel between 30 and 60 minutes to reach an existing testing site or hospital. That information was then evaluated based on under-served populations, to address known disparities, and median income, so residents have access to testing regardless of socioeconomic status."
“The increased availability of COVID-19 testing will benefit our entire community, by reaching those with limited access to services in Salinas and South County,” said Supervisor Chris Lopez, the third district supervisor and chair of the Monterey County Board of Supervisors. “In South County, the Greenfield location provides a central location for residents to access tests in an equitable manner.”
