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Drive-thru COVID-19 testing coming to Lake County May 5
Testing beginning on Tuesday, May 5, will occur in the Lakeport area, and subsequent locations around the county will be announced as they are arranged, Public Health said.
Public Health staff will see up to 50 preregistered people per day for testing in a drive-thru setting.
Sites will be open from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and results should be back within 48 to 72 hours.
If more than 50 people need the test on a given day, they will try to prioritize the most vulnerable.
Call 707-263-8174 to be transferred to a staff member for screening and registration. Additional information and forms will be posted on the Public Health website.
“This is a new process, and we appreciate the community’s patience as we ‘work out the kinks,’” said Public Health Officer Dr. Gary Pace. “We look forward to testing the folks that need it.”
Pace said that getting Lake County’s own test site up and running is highly significant, given the governor’s criteria for lifting shelter-in-place restrictions.
Until counties get adequate testing and contact tracing, the governor will be reluctant to loosen things up for more social and business activity.
Therefore, this new service will be a major step forward for Lake County in meeting these benchmarks, Pace said.
Pace said the value of this viral polymerase chain reaction test lies in determining if someone has the virus right now.
The antibody test, which is in the news a lot lately, is a different test that looks for previous infection, he said.
At least for the time being, no antibody testing will be available at Lake County’s mobile sites. These logistics may all change in the near future, Pace said.