Drive-Thru COVID-19 Testing This Weekend at Public Health Lab

En Español

Beginning on Saturday April 25, 2020 and continuing for several weeks, the Department of Health Services (DHS) Disease Control Unit will be testing the most vulnerable and at risk groups for Coronavirus (COVID-19).

The County has recently received a significant number of swabs critical for testing and is eager to expand its testing capability for COVID-19.

“Having the capacity to adequately test those who are most at risk of contracting COVID-19 is essential to keep our community safe,” said Susan Gorin, Chair of the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors. “Expanded testing can help us examine how widespread COVID-19 is in our County.”

The ability for robust testing is a critical component to protecting public health and further works to flatten the curve. The ability to monitor and protect communities through testing was also one of the Governor’s six key indicators for modifying the stay-at-home order issued last week.

Testing will be done in a drive-thru setting for scheduled appointments only in the daytime hours, and will be conducted in the parking lot area of the Sonoma County Public Health Laboratory located at 3313 Chanate Road in Santa Rosa.

To begin, testing will only be available for health care workers with or without symptoms who are encouraged to call and make an appointment at (707) 565-4667.

A health care worker is defined, as any individual employed at a health care facility whose job duties put them in contact with patients regularly and includes:

• Medical Staff, such as nurses, nursing assistants and doctors
• Social workers/counselors working in health care facilities
• Front desk/intake staff
• Dieticians
• Housekeeping/janitorial staff
• Security working in health care facilities

In the future, testing will be made available to the following groups listed by priority below:

• First responders with symptoms
• Those over the age of 65 and with underlying health conditions (with and without symptoms)
• Any member of the community with symptoms

Testing availability will be announced for these other groups later.

“Being able to test our health care workers is important to keep them safe as well as our community, and ensures our health care system can continue to function throughout the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Dr. Sundari Mase, County Health Officer. “It’s great that our County now has this expanded capacity.”