Dear Neighbors,
On April 15th, vaccine eligibility in California expands to everyone 16+. Appointments can be scheduled in advance (which started April 8th) here in Santa Clara County.
However, we still have limited vaccine supply and appointments. We encourage everyone to continue checking for open appointments at sccFreeVax.org.
Although more eligible community members are getting vaccinated each day, the decline in case rates is stalling and the region’s pandemic response continues to be complicated by COVID-19 variants. These make community testing critical, for it serves as an early warning system to possible rising case counts.
The County’s public health officials recently announced that number of cases linked to the more transmissible variants are climbing, and it is a worrying trend. We urge everyone to keep wearing a mask, avoid travel, and quarantine if travelling.
For those who may have been exposed to the virus: testing remains free, easy, and confidential. Testing is available seven days a week and there are several options:
- Appointment or drop-in
- Drive-through or walk-up
- Specimen collection by nasal swab or saliva.
Frontline workers should get tested at least once a month and up to once every two weeks, and continue testing even after being vaccinated.
County test sites provide COVID-19 tests free of charge, regardless of immigration status, and no doctor’s note is needed. For people without COVID-19 symptoms, the County currently offers indoor and drive-through sites. People with symptoms are directed to drive-through sites to reduce the chance of getting others sick.
All test sites are mapped on the County’s website at sccfreetest.org. The site is available in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese, and Tagalog. Information is also available by calling 2-1-1.
Stay tuned for more updates to come.
Together in health,
County of Santa Clara
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