COVID testing site in Sonora to close for good
A state-sponsored, free COVID-19 testing site that has been operating at the Mother Lode Fairgrounds in Sonora since November 2020 is expected to close for good on Feb. 23, five days before California’s yearslong coronavirus state of emergency officially comes to an end.
The impending closure of the local testing site and end to the statewide emergency proclamation after nearly three years represents a major milestone in the pandemic, with President Joe Biden also announcing plans this week to terminate the national and public health emergencies by May 11.
It’s also possible that the Sonora testing site could permanently close earlier than Feb. 23 due to low utilization, as most people are now opting to use athome test kits that have been readily available for months.
Hours of operation at the testing site as of Friday were still 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sunday through Thursday, with a daily break between 2 and 3 p.m.
To prepare for the testing site’s closure, the county is giving away free at-home COVID-19 test kits that can be picked up from the Public Health Department at 20111 Cedar Road N. in Sonora.
Michelle Jachetta, public health director for Tuolumne County, said on Friday that the department is also working on a distribution plan to have the test kits available at other locations, such as the libraries and other communitybased organizations.
Jachetta said the department is recommending that people keep a stash of four or five kits on hand at home, as opposed to waiting until they or a family member start experiencing symptoms and risk potentially exposing others while sick.
There are also still test kits available at no cost through the U.S. Postal Service. They can also be bought over-the-counter at many grocery stores and pharmacies, with some insurance providers offering reimbursements for such purchases.
The test-to-treat option at the Mother Lode Fairgrounds testing site, in which people can get a pre
scription for various oral antiviral therapeutic medications if they are at risk of severe illness and test positive, will also no longer be available after it closes.
Jachetta said people can still get a prescription from their health care providers and have it filled at most local pharmacies. For people who are uninsured or underinsured, there is also a new free telehealth service called Sesame Care for Californians 12 and up to obtain a prescription.
Public health officials are still looking into all the ways that ending the national emergencies in May could impact Tuolumne County.
Jachetta said some special waiver, such as one that allows ambulance personnel to administer vaccines as part of an emergency response, will likely end as a result of the emergencies no longer being in effect.
They are also waiting to see how the ending of the emergencies will impact funding and supplies for testing and other Covid-related services, Jachetta said.
“While the state of emergencies are ending, it doesn’t mean our work ends,” Jachetta said. “We’re still working hard to help protect the health and safety of our community, and we’re able to continue doing that with staffing and some of the funding that we have.”