San Francisco expands free COVID-19 testing to all essential workers
SAN FRANCISCO (KTVU) - All essential workers in San Francisco are now eligible for free COVID-19 testing, regardless of their symptoms or exposure, city officials said.
San Francisco Mayor London Breed and San Francisco Public Health Director Dr. Grant Colfax announced the expanded testing criteria, effective Monday.
Essential workers across the city qualify for free testing even if they are asymptomatic.
They can be tested for COVID-19 at CityTestSF or any Department of Public Health (DPH) community test site.
The new policy expands testing to include any essential workers, including health care workers, first responders, grocery clerks, construction workers, drivers, childcare workers, and others who continue to leave their homes each day to serve San Francisco during the Stay Home Order, the Mayor's Office said.
“San Francisco’s essential workers have kept our city going for months now during the pandemic response,” said Mayor Breed. “They continue to show up every day, often at great personal risk, and I am so grateful to them. Now that we have our testing program established and are certain that we can test everyone with symptoms, we want to extend to them the opportunity to get tested more easily—for peace of mind and to take action if needed to protect themselves and their families.”
They are not required to be tested for COVID-19, but should they feel sick or have symptoms consistent with the virus, it's crucial they get tested immediately. A doctor's note is not required.
Additionally, testing continues to be available for anyone living in San Francisco who either has one symptom or has been exposed to a confirmed case of COVID- 19.
Free testing sites for essential workers:
CityTestSF
Embarcadero
Pier 30/32
San Francisco, CA 94105
Sun to Sat, 8:00 am to 6:00 pm
SOMA
600 7th St
San Francisco, CA 94103
Mon to Fri, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm
DPH community test sites:
Southeast Health Center in the Bayview
Castro-Mission Health Center in the Castro
Maxine Hall Health Center in the Western Addition
Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital in the Mission