COVID-19 Testing
Safe, easy and no-cost testing is widely available at County-sponsored locations for everyone who works or lives in San Mateo County regardless of symptoms.
Here's how to get a COVID-19 test:
- San Mateo County residents should first contact their health care provider for a COVID-19 test.
- If you cannot get a timely test through your health care provider, please select from the following Testing Options listed below for a no-cost test at a County-sponsored location. Insurance will be billed if available.
- Once you select the best option for you, make an appointment. Appointments at ALL TEST SITES are STRONGLY encouraged as there is no guarantee you will be seen without one.
- Remember to bring your photo ID and the reference ID from the confirmation email to your appointment. Please have your insurance information ready if available.
Appointments at ALL TEST SITES are STRONGLY encouraged as there is no guarantee you will be seen without one. Remember to bring your photo ID and the reference ID from the confirmation email to your appointment.
Testing is currently recommended if you:
- Have symptoms of COVID-19.
- Were asked by San Mateo County Health to get a test because of a contact tracing or outbreak investigation.
- Were in “close contact” with someone who has COVID-19 in the past 2 weeks.
- Work or live in places such as skilled nursing facilities, group homes, residential care facilities, correctional facilities or homeless shelters.
- Are an essential worker with frequent contacts with the public in the following areas: health care, emergency, food and grocery services, factory workers in food and retail, public transportation, and education.
- Don't have symptoms but believe you may be infected now because you were exposed to people who were sick, were around many people who were not wearing face coverings, and/or were not keeping safe distance in the past 2 weeks.
Important Note: The County of San Mateo is aware of a recently-issued FDA safety communication informing of the risk that Curative’s self-administered oral swab COVID-19 testing kits may return false negative results for asymptomatic individuals. The County is monitoring the situation and engaging with Curative as it works to resolve the FDA’s concerns. Please take the FDA’s communication into consideration when choosing the appropriate testing vendor for you and your family.
The Curative SARS-Cov-2 test is reliable for testing individuals with symptoms, within 14 days of symptom onset. A negative result does not rule out COVID-19 and should not be used as the sole basis for treatment or patient management decisions. A negative result does not exclude the possibility of COVID-19, particularly if the test was taken when there were no symptoms. Patients, parents, and caregivers should talk to their healthcare provider if they have concerns and questions about their test results. You and your medical provider should consider a re-test if you are a close-contact of a confirmed case and/or develop symptoms.
Testing Locations
The test is no-cost to you but your insurance will be billed if available (please have your insurance information ready).
The following locations are open multiple days a week:
Daly City, JUHS District Administration Offices (Curative, Oral Swab):
- Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM
- 699 Serramonte Blvd., Daly City, 94015
- No eating, drinking, or smoking 20 minutes prior to test
- Drive up and walk up testing site
- Appointments are available for adults and children ages 5 and older
- Those without appointments not accepted after 3:00 PM
East Palo Alto, Office Depot (HR Support/Fulgent, Shallow Nasal Swab):
- Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM
- 1761 East Bayshore Road, East Palo Alto, 94303
- Drive up and walk up testing site
- Appointments are available for adults and children ages 5 and older
- Those without appointments not accepted after 4:00 PM
East Palo Alto, YMCA (OptumServe/LHI, Shallow Nasal Swab):
- Wednesday through Sunday from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM
- 550 Bell Street, East Palo Alto, 94303
- Drive up testing site
- Appointments are available for adults and children ages 1 and older
- Those without appointments not accepted after 5:00 PM
- 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
- Appointments for children under 13 years old cannot be made online and must be made by calling the LHI Call Center
Redwood City, North Fair Oaks (Curative, Oral Swab):
- Monday through Friday from Noon to 7:00 PM
- 2685 Bay Road, Redwood City, 94063
- No eating, drinking, or smoking 20 minutes prior to test
- Drive up and walk up testing site.
- Appointments are available for adults and children ages 5 and older
- Those without appointments not accepted after 6:00 PM
- Saturday 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM
- 2685 Bay Road, Redwood City, 94063
- No eating, drinking, or smoking 20 minutes prior to test
- Walk up testing site
- Appointments are available for adults and children ages 5 and older
- Those without appointments not accepted after 3:00 PM
Redwood City, Red Morton Park (Virus Geeks, Shallow Nasal Swab):
- Tuesday and Thursday 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM
- 1400 Roosevelt Avenue, Redwood City, 94061
- Drive up and walk up testing site.
- Appointments are available for adults and children ages 1 and older
San Mateo, College of San Mateo (OptumServe/LHI, Shallow Nasal Swab):
- Sunday through Thursday from 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM
- 3401 CSM Drive, San Mateo, 94402
- Drive up and walk up testing site
- Appointments are available for adults and children ages 1 and older
- Those without appointments not accepted after 6:00 PM
- 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
- Appointments for children under 13 years old cannot be made online and must be made by calling the LHI Call Center
San Bruno, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (HR Support/Fulgent, Shallow Nasal Swab):
- Tuesday through Saturday from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM
- 975 Sneath Lane, San Bruno, 94066
- Drive up and walk up testing site
- Appointments are available for adults and children ages 5 and older
- Those without appointments not accepted after 4:00 PM
South San Francisco, South San Francisco Unified School District (SSFUSD) Offices (Fulgent, Shallow Nasal Swab)
- Friday through Tuesday from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM
- 634 El Camino Real, South San Francisco, 94080
- Enter off of El Camino Real at the Ponderosa Road stop light
- Drive up and walk up testing site
- Appointments are available for adults and children ages 1 and older
- Those without appointments not accepted after 3:45 PM
The following locations are open one day a week:
Daly City, Bayshore School (Curative, Oral Swab):
- Friday from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM
- 155 Oriente Street, Daly City, 94014
- No eating, drinking, or smoking 20 minutes prior to test
- Walk up testing site
- Appointments are available for adults and children ages 5 and older
- Those without appointments not accepted after 3:00 PM
East Palo Alto, Cesar Chavez Ravenswood Middle School (Curative, Oral Swab):
- Tuesday from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM
- 2450 Ralmar Avenue, East Palo Alto, 94303
- No eating, drinking, or smoking 20 minutes prior to test
- Walk up testing site
- Appointments are available for adults and children ages 5 and older
- Those without appointments not accepted after 3:00 PM
Menlo Park, Onetta Harris Community Center (OptumServe/LHI, Shallow Nasal Swab):
- Sunday from 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM
- 100 Terminal Avenue, Menlo Park, 94025
- Walk up testing site
- Appointments are available for adults and children ages 1 and older
- Those without appointments not accepted after 6:00 PM
- 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
- Appointments for children under 13 years old cannot be made online and must be made by calling the LHI Call Center
San Mateo, San Mateo Central Courthouse (OptumServe/LHI, Shallow Nasal Swab):
- Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM
- 800 North Humboldt Street, San Mateo, 94401
- Walk up testing site
- Appointments are available for adults and children ages 1 and older
- Those without appointments not accepted after 3:00 PM
- 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
- Appointments for children under 13 years old cannot be made online and must be made by calling the LHI Call Center
Redwood City, North Fair Oaks Library (Curative, Oral Swab):
- Thursday from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM
- 2500 Middlefield Road, Redwood City, 94063
- No eating, drinking, or smoking 20 minutes prior to test
- Walk up testing site
- Appointments are available for adults and children ages 5 and older
- Those without appointments not accepted after 3:00 PM
Additional Options
To find additional local testing sites, visit the state’s testing site locator. Some sites may carry a cost to you.
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