Sonoma county phasing out mobile COVID-19 testing sites due to declining use

SANTA ROSA (CBS SF/BCN) – Sonoma County officials said Thursday that the county will be shutting down its mobile COVID-19 testing sites in February due to declining usage.

Optum Serve announced that it will be deactivating its testing buses on Feb. 5 as part of a statewide demobilization effort, the county said.

Forty-four Optum Serve testing sites were shuttered last week and the remaining 48 mobile sites are slated to go in February, according to the California Department of Public Health (CDPH).

“California is phasing out underutilized state-run COVID-19 testing sites in the coming weeks,” a CDPH spokesperson said Wednesday. “The phase out comes as COVID-19 activity is decreasing across the state.”

CDPH said it is sending additional tests for the virus to counties affected by the downsizing.

Sonoma County first joined forces with Optum Serve in April 2020 and the company has provided 179,325 COVID-19 tests and more than 650 clinics and locations, the county said.

County Health Officer Dr. Sundari Mase is urging residents to continue to get tested for COVID-19 in order to prevent spreading it to others. Mase said people with the virus can receive monoclonal antibody treatment from their doctor if they test positive.

People seeking COVID-19 tests in Sonoma County still have a few options. The Roseland clinic located at 779 Sebastopol Road in Santa Rosa will remain open Tuesdays through Fridays from 9 am to 4 pm

Beginning on Feb. 6, the county will host resource tables four days a week at seven different locations, which will be determined based on need, the county said. At-home test kits and other resources will be available at the tables.

Residents can also get tested for free at six locations across the county including Santa Rosa, Rohnert Park, Guerneville, Geyserville and Cloverdale. To get exact locations, hours and find out how to register, go to www.color.com/register.