Mother Lode Fairgrounds will house test site

People in Tuolumne County who need to get tested for COVID-19 frequently, including workers in constant contact with the public, will be able to do so closer to home starting in early November when the no-cost, state-sponsored testing site at the Calaveras County Fairgrounds outside Angels Camp moves to the Mother Lode Fairgrounds in Sonora.

The Tuolumne County Public Health Department announced Tuesday that it anticipated the move will happen Nov. 1 to 2, with a start date for appointments and testing on Nov. 3. The hours of operation are expected to remain 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays.

County officials have been seeking a location for the site in recent weeks and pre

viously proposed renting a building owned by the City of Sonora, but withdrew the application at the last minute due to concerns about deadlines.

The new location is expected to provide a more convenient way for Tuolumne County residents to get tested, especially those who live in Groveland and other South County communities that are more than an hour's drive from the Calaveras County Fairgrounds.

Tuolumne County public health staff also counted no new confirmed positive cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, the sixth day in a row without a new case. The county's last new case was counted Wednesday last week.

Since March, 227 total coronavirus cases have been counted by Tuolumne County public health staff. That total includes 14 inmate cases, 208 recovered individuals, and four deaths. One active case remained in Tuolumne County on Tuesday, and that individual was hospitalized.

For the week ending Sept. 19, the case rate in Tuolumne County was 1.9 percent and the test positive rate was 1.1 percent. That means that for the time being, Tuolumne County remains in the moderate category, just above the least restrictive minimal category.

In addition, free flu shots are available at the county Health Department building at 20111 Cedar Road North, Sonora, 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Tuesdays for anyone 2 and older.

Face coverings will be required, social distancing guidelines must be followed, and all visitors will be screened for symptoms of COVID-19.

Tuolumne County public health workers are also planning to offer at least two drive-thru flu clinics, Oct. 7 in Groveland and Oct. 13 in Sonora, instead of the annual two-day clinic normally held at Mother Lode Fairgrounds:

• 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 7 at Groveland Library/youth Center, 18990 Main St., Groveland

• 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 13 at Sonora Library/senior Center, 480 Greenley Road, Sonora

Free flu shots will be available for ages 2 and up, while supplies last. People will be asked to fill out registration/consent forms before arriving, and to remain in their vehicles to receive flu shots. Forms can be found online at www.tuolumnecounty. ca.gov/publichealth, on the reverse side of printed event flyers, and at the county health department, 20111 Cedar Road North, Sonora.

Public health staff urge anyone with questions to call (209) 533-7401.