Central Coast COVID-19 testing sites could see surge before holidays
SALINAS, Calif. (KION) More and more people are wanting to get tested before the holidays arrive. Some COVID-19 testing sites report seeing an uptick in people coming in to get cleared of having the virus, but others say there has been as much as a 40 percent decline at their testing locations.
There are at least 17 COVID-19 testing sites in Salinas, as it has Monterey County's largest population. Salinas also has among the highest number of cases in the county as well, but places like Clinica De Salud say not many people are wanting to get tested.
Lines were modest in North and East Salinas on Wednesday, where a couple COVID-19 testing sites, one at the Cesar Chavez Library and another on North Main Street at a Clinica De Salud, have steadily taken in customers in the last few months.
"It was well received. A lot of people were coming in to get tested and we were being invited by the agricultural community to go out to some of the fields and housing sites to test people," said Dr. Maximiliano Cuevas, the chief executive officer at Clinica de Salud.
But it was not the way things used to be. Dr. Cuevas says during the past month, all 12 of their clinics, four in Salinas, have seen a 40 percent drop in people wanting to get tested.The clinics were doing about 200 tests a day initially; this past week, it was hovering around a hundred a day.
Slightly over 40 percent of the people, when asked why they chose not to get tested, replied they were worried about losing their jobs if they tested positive.
"They're concerned that they are going to lose income either by losing their job or by being sick and having it, they have to stay home," said Dr. Cuevas. "We know, for example, that 93905 and 93906 make up half the cases in Monterey County. We know those communities are largely Hispanic communities, we know that the Hispanic community makes up 80 percent of the cases throughout the county and even makes up 80 percent of the deaths in Monterey County."
This stands in stark contrast to South Salinas, where the Salinas Valley Memorial Healthcare System says they have seen more and more people interested in being tested. But they have also seen more positive cases and an uptick in hospitalizations too.
The Monterey County Health Department says their sites have not been reporting any long lines at this point. State run sites aren't booked either. For Clinica De Salud, a more centralized response could be the solution.
"I hope with this new administration coming in, the focus is going to be on developing federal response that's more standardized, more centralized and more impactful throughout the nation to make sure that there is in fact more testing," said Dr. Cuevas.
Most COVID-19 tests are covered by insurance and, in many instances, are simply free of charge. Dr. Cuevas says it is important to get tested to understand the spread and prevalence of the disease in the community so that a proper response can be put out.
PREVIOUS ARTICLE: Testing sites for COVID-19 around the Central Coast could see a surge of people trying to get their tests done before and during the holidays.
Salinas Valley Memorial Healthcare System in Salinas says they have seen more people coming in for these tests.
COVID-19 cases have been spiking across the country, including here in California, where multiple counties have been put back into the Purple tier category of reopening.
KION's Josh Kristianto will have more tonight at 5 and 6 p.m.
