Press Release: Alameda County Partners with City of San Leandro and Eden Health District to Bring FREE COVID-19 Testing to San Leandro
June 8, 2020 - Alameda County, the City of San Leandro and the Eden Health District announced today that free COVID-19 testing will start on Tuesday, June 9, at the Marina Community Center located at 15301 Wicks Boulevard, San Leandro, California.
The testing is available to all frontline and essential workers, seniors, persons with diabetes, hypertension and other health conditions making them vulnerable to COVID-19, even if they do not have any COVID-19 symptoms.
The testing is also available to all persons with COVID-19 symptoms. These symptoms include, separately or in combination, cough, fever, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat or a new loss of taste or smell.
Testing is free and no insurance is required. People will not be asked their immigration status. Testing is open to all Alameda County residents regardless of where they live.
“This site adds testing capacity to an area with limited testing options and is adjacent to communities that are being greatly impacted by COVID-19,” said Alameda County District 3 Supervisor Wilma Chan. “Partnering with the City of San Leandro and the Eden Health District on this site deepens our connections to residents who need to hear about this new testing opportunity.”
For the first week of testing at the Marina Community Center, the dates and hours of operation are as follows: Tuesday, June 9 through Saturday, June 13 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Starting on Monday, June 15, the testing center will be open Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Testing at the Marina Community Center is expected to continue through August 2020.
Testing is by appointment only and can be made by visiting the website https://lhi.care/covidtesting or calling toll free 1-888-634-1123. Both the website and phone line provide information in English and Spanish.
“Safeguarding the health and wellness of our residents as we navigate the challenges posed by the pandemic is one of San Leandro’s highest priorities.” stated Mayor of San Leandro Pauline Cutter. “We are grateful to partner with Alameda County and the Eden Health District in establishing free Covid-19 testing in San Leandro. Anyone with a reason to be tested is welcome.”
Testing services are provided by OptumServe as a part of Governor Gavin Newsom’s initiative to add more than 80 community testing sites across the state that focus on underserved communities.
“The Eden Health District continues to seize opportunities to leverage public resources to help slow the spread of the coronavirus in the community while maximizing service to all parts of our district.” stated Eden Health District Director Charles Gilcrest. “We were honored to assist the City of Hayward in continuing its COVID-19 testing program and are pleased to join with Alameda County and the City of San Leandro in bringing a testing center to San Leandro.”
To determine where to locate new testing sites, the State evaluated underserved areas for known disparities and median income. The County then overlaid its own data and leveraged partnerships with community-based organizations and clinics to ensure appropriate follow-up care and other resources.
Increased access to testing is a cornerstone of Alameda County’s COVID-19 response strategy, which includes contact tracing to identify cases early, and health and social supports for people who need to isolate or quarantine.
The County is also serving as a resource to provide much needed testing supplies to clinics, hospitals and other entities, like Skilled Nursing Facilities, that serve vulnerable populations in order to equip more sites to test effectively and support increased access.