Coronavirus

Seven Locations for Free COVID-19 Testing in Oakland

Published

4 years ago

June 17, 2020

Team Rubicon Disaster Response’s free COVID-19 testing site at the Henry J Kaiser Convention near Lake Merritt. Photo by Zack Haber

People who live in Oakland can get free COVID-19 tests in Oakland in at least seven different locations.

Those who have been tested described the process as painless and quick, although some said it was mildly uncomfortable.

“It was uncomfortable but the entire [process] felt smooth and painless,” said William Orr, who was tested about two weeks ago at Roots Community Health Clinic.

Orr said he waited in line for “10 to 15 minutes.”

Fenner, who was also tested at Roots, said “the hardest part was waiting around” and recommended bringing a sun hat or an umbrella. They said they had to wait for an hour but the testing itself only took about 20 seconds.

All the places listed in this article claim not to ask about immigration status and people can get tested even if they do not show symptoms.

The West Oakland Health Council (WOHC) at 700 Adeline St. requires that people first make an appointment. That can be done online using this address: https://www.oaklandca.gov/wohc or make an appointment by visiting the site. WOHC does walk-up testing outdoors and is open Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. and Saturdays from 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

WOHC Director of Communications and Operations,Steve Gardiner said test results come back in 24 to 48 hours.

Roots Community Health Center at 9925 International Blvd. also does walk-up, outdoor testing. Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Patients are encouraged to make an appointment online using this address: https://www.research.net/r/Rootstesting or they can show up on site and make an appointment there. Results come back in one to four days.

Allen Temple Baptist Church at 8510 International Blvd. does drive-through only testing. Some find this method safest because the patient only interacts with in-person staff when they lower their vehicle’s window to be tested. Test results come back within two to three days and patients pre-register at this address: https://www.projectbaseline.com/study/covid-19/

La Clinica has started arranging for walk-up or drive-through outdoor testing at the Fruitvale BART parking lot at the corner of 36th avenue and East 12th street. Patients should call 510-535-3370 to arrange an appointment, which can be done in English or Spanish. Testing is available from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Osita Health Clinic at 2521 Seminary Ave., Suite #1 offers free testing for walk-up or drive-through testing for those who are uninsured. They are open for testing from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Register online at this address: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70a0b48aaae2faaff2-covid19 or make an appointment at the clinic. Patients get results in 24 to 48 hours.

Carbon Health at 411 Grand Ave. does free testing for those without insurance. Testing is done indoors. They are open every day from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Patients can book an appointment online by going to https://carbonhealth.com/coronavirus#smart and clicking IN-CLINIC COVID-19 TESTING. Results are reported within three to five days.

Team Rubicon Disaster Response is offering free drive through and walk up testing Monday through Friday from 10 am to 4 pm. Their site is located at the Henry J Kaiser Convention Center at 10 10th Street. Results come back in 2-5 days. Patients are encouraged to make an appointment online at: projectbaseline.com/covid but can also register onsite.

Zack Haber

Posts by Zack Haber

Bay Area

Authorities Warn: There’s a COVID Surge in California

According to data estimates by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the coronavirus in California’s wastewater has spiked for eight consecutive weeks. Hospitalizations and emergency room visits have also increased since the rise of the new subvariants. Over the last month, Los Angeles County experienced an average of 389 hospital patients per day that tested positive for the coronavirus. The FLiRT subvariants such as KP.3.1.1. Made up over 2% of coronavirus samples nationwide, an increase of more than 7% last month.

Published

3 months ago

August 17, 2024

Oakland Post

Photo provided by California Black Media.

By Bo Tefu, California Black Media

California is experiencing a COVID-19 surge this summer, experts warn, as numbers of infections increased for the third month this year.

State public health authorities attribute the summer COVID surge to more infectious subvariants that have emerged as the coronavirus evolves.

Dr. Elizabeth Hudson, regional chief of infectious disease at Kaiser Permanente Southern California, stated that subvariants of COVID-19 called FLiRT increased in recent months, particularly one named KP.3.1.1 that has become the most common strain in the country.

Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious diseases expert at UC San Francisco, said that the subvariant KP.3.1.1 seems most adept at transmission.

“The subvariant is the one that people think will continue to take over, not only in the United States, but … around the world,” Chin-Hong said.

The majority of the people who tested positive for COVID-19 complained of a sore throat and a heavy cough. Risk factors that can increase the illness include age, underlying health issues, and vaccine dosage.

Health experts stated that the demand for the COVID-19 vaccine has increased in Northern California. However, people are having a hard time getting the vaccine due to the increasing number of cases.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

California Black Media

Gov. Newsom and Gov. DeSantis Go Head-to-Head in Nationally Televised Debate

Conservative Fox News personality Sean Hannity moderated the duel, during which the TV pundit, more than once, injected his opinion, and appeared to be providing subtle assists to DeSantis. As the debate progressed, it was clear that opinions about each topic discussed was representative of the philosophical and political chasm that divides liberal and conservative America, and a preview of campaign mudslinging that is bound to intensify as the 2024 presidential campaign ensues.

Published

11 months ago

December 10, 2023

Oakland Post

The debate between Gov. Gavin Newsom and Gov. Ron DeSantis was moderated by Fox News personality Sean Hannity. California Black Media image.

By California Black Media

In an intense, 95-minute-plus televised faceoff between California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Nov. 30, the men traded jabs and putdowns, defended their respective gubernatorial records, disagreed sharply on how to solve the country’s most pressing problems, and expressed clashing views on the performance of the Biden-Harris administration.

Conservative Fox News personality Sean Hannity moderated the duel, during which the TV pundit, more than once, injected his opinion, and appeared to be providing subtle assists to DeSantis.

As the debate progressed, it was clear that opinions about each topic discussed was representative of the philosophical and political chasm that divides liberal and conservative America, and a preview of campaign mudslinging that is bound to intensify as the 2024 presidential campaign ensues.

“I’ll tell you why I’m here,” Newsom said. “I’m here to tell the truth about the Biden-Harris record and also compare and contrast Ron DeSantis’ record and the Republican Party’s record” with that of California.

DeSantis blasted Newsom’s management of the COVID-19 crisis and criticized Newsom for prevalent crime, homelessness and deteriorating social conditions in California cities.

“You have the freedom to defecate in public in California,” DeSantis said. “You have the freedom to pitch a tent on Sunset Boulevard. You have the freedom to create a homeless encampment under a freeway and even light it on fire. They’re not the freedoms our founding fathers envisioned.”

Newsom took a jab at DeSantis’ presidential candidacy, predicting that the Florida Governor would be endorsing GOP frontrunner Donald Trump soon.

“There’s one thing we have in common,” Newsom said. “Neither of us will be the nominee for our party in 2024.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

BayCityNews

FDA Updates Approval of Pfizer Booster Vaccine for Children Under 5

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration updated its approval Tuesday of the Pfizer-BioNTech booster vaccine, making it available to some children under age 5. Before this update, children under 5 were not eligible for COVID-19 booster shots. Instead, they received three doses of the regular vaccine.

Published

2 years ago

March 22, 2023

Oakland Post

As of December 2022, children age 4 and younger who have not been vaccinated receive the omicron variant-specific booster vaccine as the third dose in their primary vaccine series, following two doses of the original Pfizer vaccine.

By Eli Walsh
Bay City News

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration updated its approval Tuesday of the Pfizer-BioNTech booster vaccine, making it available to some children under age 5.

Before this update, children under 5 were not eligible for COVID-19 booster shots. Instead, they received three doses of the regular vaccine.

However, children in that age range who completed their initial vaccination series before December 2022 only received three doses of the original Pfizer vaccine, and are less protected against more infectious variants of the virus as a result.

FDA officials updated the vaccine’s emergency use authorization Tuesday to allow those children who only received the original Pfizer COVID vaccine to receive one dose of the bivalent booster if it has been at least two months since they completed their initial series.

Other children under age 5 are not eligible for the booster, although everyone age 5 and up is eligible for a booster.

“Currently available data show that vaccination remains the best defense against severe disease, hospitalization and death caused by COVID-19 across all age groups, and we encourage all eligible individuals to make sure that their vaccinations are up to date with a bivalent COVID-19 vaccine,” said Dr. Peter Marks, the director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research.

Clinical data has found that both the original Pfizer vaccine and the booster vaccine that targets the omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5 are safe for everyone aged 6 months and up and effective at preventing the worst outcomes of COVID infection, including serious illness and death.

COVID vaccines are available at primary care providers, retail pharmacies and some facilities operated by local health departments.

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