There has been a rush on coronavirus testing facilities this week as people try to get negative results ahead of Thanksgiving gatherings.
Generally, Sonoma County Public Health Officer Dr. Sundari Mase has encouraged residents to get tested however they can if they have any reason to believe they may be sick. But this week, county officials are trying to thin the crowds at state-sponsored testing sites.
"We want to clear up a little confusion about the best ways to be tested…if you have health insurance we encourage you first to contact your healthcare provider, whether it’s Kaiser or Sutter or someone else, to see about scheduling an appointment to be tested," she said.
The idea is to make sure that people who do not have health insurance still have speedy access to free testing sites and to defray some of the costs to the state by making sure that people who have insurance use it.
It also means that if the test does come back positive, your doctor will already have your result.
People are still encouraged to use the free sites if they need to. but the bottom line is: if you have other options, please use them. Whether you use private insurance or a free testing site, patients will not be billed for any of the costs.
"If you live in one of the key disadvantage neighborhoods or census tracts that have experienced a really high rate of infection, we encourage you to take advantage of one of the pop-up sites that’s in your area," said Dr. Mase.
Two of the county’s largest testing sites are located in Santa Rosa and Windsor.
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