San Francisco officials Monday announced three new Covid-19 testing sites that combined will be able to conduct over 500 tests per day.
The City is collaborating with Google’s research company Verily to deploy a mobile testing site that will first serve the community of Tenderloin residents beginning Wednesday. The site will initially be located at the Tenderloin Recreational Center and eventually move to another neighborhood with testing needs.
City officials said they are working with GLIDE Memorial and Code Tenderloin to spread the word and help people register online for appointments at the mobile testing site.
Karen Hanrahan, president and CEO of GLIDE, said in a statement:
“Comprehensive testing is a foundational piece of our efforts to understand how this pandemic is impacting the most vulnerable, and to protect everyone in the city from what could be a catastrophic spread of the virus.”
The Student Health Services Center at City College of San Francisco’s main campus will also host a testing site by appointment only.
The City College facility is a response to analysis by zip code in an effort to bolster testing capacity in neighborhoods with limited access. The zip code 94112, which includes the Excelsior, Oceanview, Merced Heights and Ingleside neighborhoods, was identified as lacking adequate test sites.
City data shows that 53 Covid-19 cases have been identified in the 94112 area as of May 8.
The City in partnership with outside organizations will mobilize testing to 94112 neighborhoods from Wednesday to Friday this week, and will then return every Friday for the unforeseeable future.
City officials continue to focus testing efforts in the Bayview-Hunters Point neighborhood and will expand capacity through existing services in the area.
Residents will have the option to speak with a clinician or telehealth representative and preregister for test appointments, or sign up on the same day with a clinician visit before testing.
Any resident who tests positive will have access to a hotel room for quarantine purposes if otherwise unable to isolate.
Mayor London Breed said in a statement Monday that the new testing sites will offer more convenience and accessibility for at-risk residents and neighborhoods hit hardest by the virus.
Breed said:
“As we continue toward universal testing, it’s critical that we focus on reaching communities that have historically been underserved and that don’t have as many testing resources available to them.”
Residents can visit SF.gov/GetTestedSF to find testing locations and make appointments.
The Department of Public Health Monday reported a total of 2,131 confirmed Covid-19 cases and 36 related deaths.
Jerold serves as a reporter and San Francisco Bureau Chief for SFBay covering transportation and occasionally City Hall and the Mayor's Office in San Francisco. His work on transportation has been recognized by the San Francisco Press Club. Born and raised in San Francisco, he graduated from San Francisco State University with a degree in journalism. Jerold previously wrote for the San Francisco Public Press, a nonprofit, noncommercial news organization. When not reporting, you can find Jerold taking Muni to check out new places to eat in the city.
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