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Santa Clara County has joined San Mateo County in offering free COVID-19 testing for all, including those who are asymptomatic.
East San Jose, considered a hot spot during the outbreak, is now offering drive-thru testing through Verily, a subsidiary of Alphabet. It’s at PAL Stadium on 34th St. where you can get the tests - no insurance or symptoms necessary, either.
After making an appointment, you can drive in or walk up to get a quick, easy and free test for COVID-19. Gone are the long swabs inserted by a sample taker.
They’re now replaced by a much shorter swab, a bit larger than a Q-tip.
You simply take the sample yourself and hand it over.
Santa Clara City Council members were on hand to get the message out both in Spanish and Vietnamese.
Dr. Marty Fenstersheib, who heads up a testing task force in the county, said the free testing represents a pivot in offering the testing to people who are asymptomatic.
"Our hot spots are in East San Jose, this is where our cases are, some areas in (the) south county in the Gilroy area and there are some pockets in the Mountain View area," Dr. Marty Fenstersheib said.
Of the positive cases in Santa Clara County, 40% come from East San Jose, where the population is considered more at risk with many frontline and essential workers who have to work to put food on the table. You can make an appointment here.
The Santa Clara County Health Department announced Wednesday 13 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the county's total to 2,492.
Officials also announced one additional death, now totaling 138.