Napa County expands COVID-19 testing
SANTA ROSA, Calif. - Napa County expanded free drive-in COVID-19 testing on Friday at the county fairgrounds.
"We need to be able to get a better idea of the prevalence of disease in our county and we also need to be able to identify contacts," said Napa County Health Officer Dr. Karen Relucio.
Those with symptoms; fever, cough, or shortness of breath, have priority and will be able to schedule a test online. Asymptotic first responders, those who work in a health care facility or jail are also eligible for testing.
Health care worker Rosalina Calderon got tested today so that she never gives or receives an infection.
"I have my parents still, thanks God, and I have a grand daughter and she's amazing that I want to come home to and I want to be, to know that I am negative," said Ms. Calderon.
Another key goal of the program is to expand free testing to the county's farmworkers and their families.
"We'll be taking the test to them as well. So they're out working in the vineyards right now and working very hard and we want to make sure that they have the opportunity for testing," said a program advocate Lydia Mondavi.
Low-to-moderate-income residents, who test positive, thereby needing to self-quarantine, are invited to apply for emergency financial assistance through the Napa Valley Community Foundation.
"We are so grateful for Napa Community Fund and also Napa County Vintners in this endeavor," said Ms. Mondavi.
The county testing is being done in collaboration with two non-governmental organizations; Community Organized Relief Effort (CORE), founded by activist/actor Sean Penn, a group that says without the governor, local government and others, its efforts would be impossible.
"It is the collaboration that we have with all of these different parties; with the state, with community leadership, with the experience we've had with doing all kinds of emergency relief projects throughout the world," said Matt McConnell of the Community Organized Relief Effort.
The other organization, Verily, is a high-tech health and life sciences company and a part of the Google empire.
The program is sponsored and partially funded by by the Napa Valley Vintners Association.
It's an "all hands on deck" community effort for now and for the future of everyone here and who come here from all over the world.
"In order for people to feel safe coming back into this community, they need know we've done our due diligence to test our residents and our essential workers to know that this is a safe place to come back into," said program physician, Dr. Ingrid Hohimer McNicoll.
The program wants to keep the testing going as long as testing supplies and needed finances hold up.