San Mateo County Opens Free Mobile Coronavirus Testing Site

SAN MATEO COUNTY, CA — San Mateo County is stepping its testing program as it moves to the state’s most restrictive tier.

Starting Tuesday, San Mateo County will provide a permanent COVID-19 mobile testing site free of charge that will operate five days per week, Supervisor David Canepa announced.

The site will operate in the Jefferson Union High School District parking lot at 699 Serramonte Blvd. in Daly City as part of a contract with the company Curative.

People as young as 5 can get a test free of charge from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, according to the county.

Since Gov. Gavin Newsom unveiled the Blueprint for a Safer Economy plan in September, San Mateo County has more than doubled its testing rates, and is now testing at the second-highest rate of any county in the state, behind only San Francisco, Canepa's office said.

San Mateo County joined San Francisco in moving into the purple tier of the state’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy on Sunday. A 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew goes into effect Monday night.

The state sponsors one Verily/Project Baseline testing operation in San Mateo County, and the county has a private contract with Verily for a second testing site, costing San Mateo County approximately $1.7 million per month.

The county-sponsored testing operation with Verily, which is in addition to the one with Curative, rotates throughout the county, including in Daly City, San Bruno, Half Moon Bay, North Fair Oaks and East Palo Alto on a regular schedule, although the contract expires at the end of December.

"The holidays are going to be a super critical time, San Mateo County Health Officer Dr. Scott Morrow said in a statement last week.

“Unless you happen to live under a rock, you are bombarded constantly with messages on the actions you need to take. I know many of you would like me, or the government, or some external entity to provide some magical remedy to make it all better. It doesn't work that way. While there is an enormous infrastructure stood up to try to protect you, if you don't pay attention to your own actions, you will not like what is to come and how it will impact the people you care about."

A testing schedule in San Mateo County is available online here.

To make an appointment to any of the county’s mobile testing sites visit Project Baseline.

— Bay City News and Patch Editor Gideon Rubin contributed to this report