Santa Clara Co. launches door-to-door COVID testing in hard-hit Latino community

SAN JOSE, Calif. - COVID-19 testing is going door-to-door in East San Jose in a predominantly Latino community that has among the highest infection rates in Santa Clara County.

Beginning Tuesday, teams of specially trained Spanish speaking ambassadors or promotoras are set to knock on doors and offer at-home, on-the-spot COVID testing.

"It's a nasal swab the individual administers. And the promotors observe and provide guidance from a distance," said Analilia Garcia, who oversees the program for the Santa Clara County Health Department.

The county found many people living here are afraid of getting tested.

"There is fear of actually going to the site itself," said Garcia. "Concerned about how they will be received, how their information might be shared, who will have access to my information and will that be damaging to my family."

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The county says it will not share any information. It has partnered with two San Jose organizations trusted in the Latino community, Somos Mayfair and META. People from those organizations will be ringing doorbells.

“We want to have people from the community work within the community to increase the trust in there,” said Dr. Marcelle Dougan, an assistant professor in the San Jose State University Dept. of Public Health & Recreation.

Community members have been learning how to give someone a test kit and explain how to test themselves.

"The last three weeks we've been training with doctors, nurses people from the health department. We know this is something serious," says Olivia Ortiz, with META.

They will also direct people to medical and support services if the tests come back positive, such as quarantining and providing help with food and rent if someone can't work.

"We can prevent," said Ortiz. "Maybe they have it and don't realize they have it and are spreading the virus."

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The Latino community represents about 25% of the Santa Clara County population but has more than half of the COVID cases.

"Essential workers. High-density households. There is a myriad of reasons as to why," said Garcia.

After the at-home test is performed, it will be sent off to a lab. The turnaround time for the tests is 24-48 hours.