Santa Clara County is expanding its offering of free Covid-19 testing sites this week with free appointment-only testing locations as well as “pop-up” non-appointment tests.
There are a total of 19 county testing sites this week, in addition to the testing required to be provided by regional health care providers.
Appointment-only testing will be conducted in Sunnyvale, Morgan Hill, Santa Clara, Los Altos and Palo Alto. Appointments can be made starting three days in advance of the testing date and until all slots are taken.
To schedule an appointment, go to scl.fulgentgenetics.com/appointment
Pop-up, no-appointment testing will be conducted in San Jose and Gilroy.
“While many people love the convenience of a drop-in testing site, others might prefer to schedule an appointment in advance to avoid waiting in line,” Santa Clara County’s chief testing officer, Dr. Marty Fenstersheib, said in a press release at the start of the week. “We offer various testing options to give people a variety of avenues by which they can get tested for Covid-19 in Santa Clara County.”
No appointments are needed for a nasal swab test at either of the below pop-up locations.
San Jose
Overfelt High School, Gymnasium, 1835 Cunningham Ave.
1 to 6pm, Tuesday through Friday
9am to 2pm Saturday
Gilroy
South County Annex (formerly Del Buono Elementary), 9300 Wren Avenue, Gilroy
10am to 4pm, Tuesday through Friday
Those seeking a test can check in at any of the pop-up sites and receive a wristband for a specific time slot later in the day, so they then can leave and return at the designated time to get tested. The county hopes this reduces the time spent waiting in line.
The county advised those interested in a test at a pop-up site to go earlier in the day rather than later to pick up a wristband. When the wristbands run out, people will be directed to other testing options nearby.
The walk-up testing sites provide Covid-19 viral detection tests free of charge without an appointment, symptoms, insurance, or a doctor’s note, and regardless of immigration status. Locations may change each week based on assessment of testing needs.
In addition, scheduled walk-up appointments are available Monday through Friday at various locations for people without symptoms only. These can be scheduled online using a web browser other than Internet Explorer. Appointments can be scheduled and will be open until all slots are filled at these locations this week:
Morgan Hill
City Council Chamber Building, 17555 Peak Ave.
9:30am to 4pm Tuesday
Santa Clara
Central Library, 2635 Homestead Road
9:30am to 4pm Wednesday
Los Altos
Los Altos Youth Center, 1 N. San Antonio Road
9:30am to 4pm Thursday
Palo Alto
Palo Alto Art Center Auditorium, 1313 Newell Road
9:30am to 4pm Friday
Future testing sites will rotate daily through other cities in the county.
For those with insurance, the county sites are not the only spots to get free Covid-19 tests.
Large healthcare systems such as Kaiser Permanente, Sutter/Palo Alto Medical Foundation and others are required by county order to offer free testing to members who: have Covid-19 symptoms; have had close contact with a person who tested positive for Covid-19, or are at higher risk of exposure because they work in frontline settings.
Testing can identify Covid-19 before a person feels unwell or before they spread it to another individual with potentially deadly consequences.
There are currently more than 50 Covid-19 test locations in Santa Clara County, including those at community centers and schools, hospitals, clinics, and mobile testing centers. Summary data are published on the County’s Covid-19 Testing Dashboards.
