Coronavirus Testing Demand Strengthens In Sacramento County; Pop-Up Sites Reach Capacity
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) – The demand for coronavirus testing is increasing by the day after the number of confirmed cases in Sacramento county tripled in just a matter of weeks.
County health officials partnered with the California National Guard and Sacramento Public Library Authority to offer free testing at rotating Sacramento county public library branches every 1-3 days.
On Thursday, a pop-up test site was scheduled to be open all morning at the Valley Hi-North Laguna branch located at 7400 Imagination Parkway in Elk Grove, but it was over almost as soon as it began due to a large number of people showing up.
Cars were lined up and backed up to Bruceville Road. Robert Mandelson, 75, said he has been frustrated trying to find test sites after 5 county sites closed.
"I tried the website for the county. What a joke," he said while shaking his head.
Mandelson said he feels fine and believes he hasn't been exposed to the virus.
That's not the case for Jose Gonzalez-Guzman, who said he was exposed to COVID-19 during a Fourth of July family celebration.
"They didn't know it at the time. It was like two days later their test came in positive and we were all kind of like, 'OK, we are exposed,' " Guzman said.
Guzman was lucky enough to get tested because he arrived before the site opened.
"I am very surprised by the response today," Capt. Serenity Holden, with the California National Guard, said of Thursday's testing. "This is not our first time being out here and we had low response in our previous endeavors here."
This pop up site is part of a plan to meet the growing need for testing amidst a shortage of supplies and test kits.
"So I would look at it as how many tests we are prepared to do today-and that is about 100," Capt. Serenity Holden, with the California National Guard, said,
Within an hour of opening, the National Guard and the Sacramento County Public Health Department reached their testing capacity and shut the pop up site down.
"It depends how many tests are done in a day and how many our lab can process," Dr. Sheena Harris said when asked how long it would take to see results.
It can't happen fast enough for Gonzalez-Guzman.
"If we have it, we are prepared to take steps to make sure no one spreads it anymore. Stay home and stay safe," he said.
Sacramento county is asking those who were turned away to make an appointment on the state health department's website. More pop up locations are planned but locations and time will be announced the night before.
