A positive test early in the course of the illness enables individuals to isolate – reducing the chances they will infect others
Redwood City – Testing for COVID-19 is widely available across San Mateo County, including a newly opened dedicated site at the College of San Mateo.
The County of San Mateo offers no-cost testing for everyone who lives or works in San Mateo County – regardless of symptoms.
A drive-through testing site for adults and children now operates Sundays through Thursdays from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the College of San Mateo in a parking lot across from 3401 CSM Drive, San Mateo, 94402.
The move to CSM vacates all testing at the San Mateo County Event Center, freeing it for mass vaccination events.
“The College of San Mateo is centrally located for the entire county and provides us with the space we need to provide much-needed COVID testing,” said County Manager Mike Callagy. “Testing continues to play a vital role in detecting infections early and controlling the spread of this virus.”
County-sponsored testing at the College of San Mateo is in partnership with Logistics Health, Inc. (LHI), a subsidiary of OptumServe. Make an appointment.
Those who do not have internet access or require assistance with registration can call the LHI call center at (888) 634-1123 to make an appointment.
Note: appointments for children under 13 years old cannot be made online and must be made by calling the LHI call center. The test is no-cost to you but your insurance will be billed if available (please have your insurance information ready).
“The San Mateo County community colleges are proud to provide space for community COVID testing. We will do anything we can to help this community curb this pandemic, rebuild our economy, and improve quality of life,” said Michael Claire, chancellor of the San Mateo County Community College District.
Additional County-Sponsored Options
The drive-through testing at the College of San Mateo is one of numerous options provided by the County of San Mateo.
The County also offers no-cost testing in neighborhoods from Daly City to East Palo Alto. Check out our site to see if you can schedule an appointment at a testing site near you.
You can also call 2-1-1 for assistance in locating a testing site near you.
Note: You will receive an email if your appointment is cancelled due to weather or other unexpected events. Be sure to check your email the day of your appointment.
Private Providers
If you have health insurance, your first call should be to your healthcare provider or system of care (Kaiser Permanente, Dignity Health, Sutter Health/PAMF, for instance).
The state of California provides a searchable map of COVID-19 testing sites. This map provides the option to
► Choose Current Location
► Search by Address, City or Zip Code
► Click on the Map
Why get tested?
If we follow common-sense guidelines and lower our infection rates we can:
► Visit friends.
► Go to our favorite stores and restaurants.
► Get kids back to school.
► Save lives.
► Enjoy everything the Peninsula offers!
Learn how our comeback depends on all of us.
Important note:
A COVID-19 test does not protect you from the virus, and a negative result is not a reason to not continue to wear your mask, keep six feet distance, and wash your hands regularly.
A COVID-19 test does not guarantee that you do not have the virus; a false-negative test is possible. Also, even when accurate, a test result only reflects whether you have the virus when you took the test.
You could become positive at any time and exposure to COVID-19 could happen immediately following your test.