SF Now Has Universal COVID-19 Testing for All Essential Workers
Mayor London Breed Announces Universal COVID-19 Testing for All Essential Workers in San Francisco
Monday, May 4, 2020
Anyone who must work during the Stay Home Order is eligible for free testing, with or without symptoms. San Francisco takes another step toward goal of universal access to testing.
San Francisco, CA — Mayor London N. Breed and Director of Health Dr. Grant Colfax today announced that all essential workers in San Francisco will now be eligible for COVID-19 testing, regardless of symptoms or exposure. The expanded testing criteria is another step toward the City’s goal of universal access to testing for all San Franciscans. The expansion to asymptomatic essential workers is citywide and effective today, and applies to all testing conducted at CityTestSF and the Department of Public Health (DPH) community test sites.
The new policy expands COVID-19 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. These essential workers interact daily with other people and cannot easily maintain social distance by staying home.
For these workers, they can decide when they want the test, but it is important for them to be tested immediately when they feel ill, or have symptoms consistent with COVID-19, or if they believe they have been exposed. No doctor’s note will be required, and the test is free.
What You Need to Know
- “Essential” workers can now get tested regardless of symptoms. Examples of essential workers include health car workers, first responders, grocery clerks, construction workers, drivers, childcare works and others to leave their homes every day for work.
- No doctor’s note will be required
- Tests are free
- Appointments are required at all sites
- Any person living in San Francisco has already been eligible for testing if they have one COVID-19 symptom, such as fever, cough, sore throat, or have been in contact with someone with confirmed COVID-19
Where Can I Get a Test?
Essential workers can get tested for free at one of the two CityTestSF sites at the Embarcadero and in SoMa. These two sites have the capacity to test 1,500 people per day, and are operated in partnership with Color, Carbon Health, and One Medical. The Department of Public Health’s community test sites also are providing free tests at Southeast Health Center in the Bayview, Castro-Mission Health Center in the Castro, Maxine Hall Health Center in the Western Addition, and Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital in the Mission. Appointments for tests are still necessary at all sites in order to ensure social distancing and reduce the number of people waiting for a test at any given time.
View the map of testing sites.
Castro Mission – Alternative Testing Site
- 3850 17th Street San Francisco, CA
- Eligibility: Uninsured SF residents, SFHN Primary Care Patients, SFHN shared-risk patients who seek care at ZSFG specialty care sites.
- Hours: 8am-5pm M-F, 12-4 pm Weekends
- 40 The Embarcadero, Piers 30-32 San Francisco, CA
- Eligibility: Anyone living or working in SF. No insurance required. Convenient for people in vehicles.
- Hours: 8am-6pm Every Day
- 600 7th Street San Francisco, CA
- Eligibility: Anyone living or working in SF. No insurance required. Convenient for people on foot.
- Hours: 9am-5pm M-F
Maxine Hall Health Center – Alternative Testing Site
- 1181 Golden Gate Ave San Francisco, CA
- Eligibility: Uninsured SF residents, SFHN Primary Care Patients, SFHN shared-risk patients who seek care at ZSFG specialty care sites.
- Hours: 8am-5pm M-F
- 4900 California St San Francisco, CA
- Eligibility: Anyone living or working in SF. No insurance required.
- Hours: 10am-4:30pm M-F
Southeast Health Center Alternative Testing Site
- 2401 Keith Street San Francisco, CA
- Eligibility: Uninsured SF residents, SFHN Primary Care Patients, SFHN shared-risk patients who seek care at ZSFG specialty care sites.
- Hours: 8am-5pm M-F
ZSFG – Alternative Testing Site
- 1001 Potrero Ave San Francisco, CA
- Eligibility: Uninsured SF residents, SFHN Primary Care Patients, SFHN shared-risk patients who seek care at ZSFG specialty care sites.
- Hours: 9-6 pm M-F
DPH recommends that all private providers in San Francisco extend testing to asymptomatic essential workers. 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.
The expansion puts San Francisco squarely on the path to universal access to testing. Any person living in San Francisco is already eligible for testing if they have one COVID-19 symptom, such as fever, cough, sore throat, or have been in contact with someone with confirmed COVID-19. The City also announced last Friday that all residents and workers in skilled nursing facilities in San Francisco will be required to be tested.
For more information about COVID-19 testing, contact your primary health care provider, call 311, or visit SF.gov/GetTestedSF.
