Free Coronavirus Pop-Up Testing Offered In Gilroy

GILROY, CA — Santa Clara County will offer free coronavirus pop-up testing in Gilroy this week, the county’s Emergency Operations Center announced Saturday.

The site at South County Annex (formerly Antonio Del Buono Elementary) 9300 Wren Ave. will be open Tuesday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The walk-up testing sites provide COVID-19 viral detection tests 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. The county’s objective is to increase the overall number of tests, especially in communities that have been hit hard by COVID-19.

“The test is easy and painless,” said Dr. Marty Fenstersheib, the County’s COVID-19 Testing Officer. “All are welcome at our County government test sites. And if you have insurance, you can also ask your regular provider for a test if that’s more convenient for you: they are required to test you.”

Testing can identify COVID-19 before a person feels unwell or before they spread it to another individual with potentially deadly consequences.

Although every Santa Clara County resident can now get a free nasal swab test, testing is especially encouraged for asymptomatic individuals who are at higher risk because they work in frontline settings or because they’ve had significant interaction with members of the public. This includes grocery store clerks, construction workers, retail associates, first responders, and other workers, as well as individuals who regularly ride public transit or have recently attended a mass gathering where masks or social distancing may not have been observed.

There are currently more than 50 COVID-19 test locations in Santa Clara County, including those at community centers and schools, hospitals and clinics, and mobile testing centers. Summary data are published on the County’s COVID-19 Testing Dashboards.

The tests offered are viral detection tests, which diagnose a person who currently has the infection. Read more about the difference between viral detection tests and serology tests.

Take a video tour of a pop-up testing site to know what to expect.

For individuals experiencing symptoms or who have come into close contact with a person who has tested positive for COVID-19, the Public Health Department strongly recommends getting tested by calling a doctor or scheduling an appointment through one of the community-based drive-through sites.

County test sites and additional sites operated by other organizations are mapped on the County’s website at sccfreetest.org. The site is available in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese and Tagalog. Information is also available by calling 2-1-1.

Full coronavirus coverage: Coronavirus In California: What To Know