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Santa Clara County offers 60,000 free COVID-19 rapid tests

A COVID-19 testing site in West Hollywood, California
WeHoCity
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Flickr / Creative Commons
A COVID-19 testing site in West Hollywood, California

If you live, work or attend school in Santa Clara County, four drive-through sites are giving out free COVID-19 rapid antigen tests in the county.

There are still tests available from the 60,000 free testing kits the county started distributing on Saturday due to overwhelming demand. Each person can make an appointment to pick up four iHealth COVID-19 antigen tests on their website www.sccfreetest.org.

The pickup locations are: Hellyer County Park, Martial Cottle Park, Vasona County Park and Foothill College. You must show your QR code to pick up. While the sites are designed to be drive-through, walk-ups are also allowed as long as you have an appointment.

Rapid tests — otherwise known as antigen tests–detect proteins specific to COVID–19 and take just 15 minutes to show results. The tests are most accurate when patients are exhibiting symptoms or carrying a high viral load. PCR tests are the gold standard in COVID testing overall but appointments for PCR testing have been scarce and results can take between one and three days.