November 10, 2020
PUBLIC HEALTH ADVISORY: COVID-19 Testing Update for Healthcare Facilities
Background
As COVID-19 testing options increase through healthcare providers, self-referral and at-home kit testing options, Marin County will be closing the Marin Center Color testing site on Friday, November 13.
Public health testing resources are being re-dedicated to mobile testing operations, for timely response to clusters as they arise in the community. Significant resources have been invested at the federal, state, and local levels to ensure access to COVID-19 testing for all residents. The County’s Healthcare Preparedness Program is partnering with local healthcare providers and facilities to distribute federal shipments of BinaxNOW™ COVID-19 Ag Card countywide. The State of California has also opened a new laboratory in partnership with Perkin Elmer to significantly expand testing capacity and reduce turnaround times.
Marin County residents have access to expanded COVID-19 testing resources, including self-scheduling at the no-cost LHI testing site in San Rafael. Pharmacies, including CVS, are also now providing testing. Home-based, self-administered COVID-19 tests including pixel by LabCorp are also available to all residents.
Recommendations:
- Health care facilities, health plans, insurers, and health care providers must follow the Marin County Health Officer Order to provide access to SARS-CoV-2 testing in accordance with the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) COVID-19 testing guidance and the California Department of Managed Health Care (DMHC) classification of COVID-19 testing as a medically necessary basic health care service for symptomatic individuals and essential workers.
- Health care facilities, providers, health plans and insurers should partner with laboratories to ensure access to COVID-19 testing. The California COVID-19 Testing Task Force (TTF) publishes a list of laboratories that provide COVID-19 testing for a variety of sectors.