New partnerships to sustain Hayward COVID-19 Testing Center operations until May 31

HAYWARD, Calif., May 14, 2020—The City of Hayward announced today new partnerships with the Eden Health District, the nonprofit organization La Familia and Cal State University East Bay to sustain operation of the City of Hayward COVID-19 Testing Center until May 31.

Under the partnerships, Eden Health District will fund ongoing testing at the Center, which was first opened by the Hayward Fire Department on March 23.  La Familia will employ specifically trained health workers to begin collecting test samples at the Center and will be supported by recent graduates of the Cal State nursing program.

The Hayward Fire Department will maintain administrative command and control of the Center, and Hayward firefighter-paramedics will continue to provide testing off-site through mobile testing teams in cooperation with the Alameda County Department of Public Health.

“The Hayward Testing Center was the first free COVID-19 testing site of its kind in the country and remains vital to controlling coronavirus throughout Alameda County,” said Mayor Barbara Halliday.  “It is a model of efficient use of public resources and we are grateful for our new partnerships with Eden Health District, La Familia and Cal State to help keep it going.”

Launched on March 23 at Fire Station #7 in South Hayward and relocated to Cal State on April 14, the Center and Hayward mobile teams have provided COVID-19 testing of more than 6,700 people.  Of a total of 6,736 people tested, 712 were found to be infected with the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, an infection rate for those tested of under 11 percent, lab results show.

Analysis of the test samples is performed by Avellino Lab of Menlo Park, which also now provides laboratory services for COVID-19 testing for the cities of Fremont and Vallejo.

The Hayward Testing Center was established to take pressure of hospital emergency rooms, provide quicker answers to first-responders and health-care workers and to control community spread of coronavirus through isolation of people found to be infected.

Area businesses and other employers rely on the Center for testing of employees for reopening and to maintain safe workplaces.

Meanwhile, Hayward mobile teams continue to provide testing of residents and workers at Hayward and area nursing homes.

Currently, the Center is testing approximately 200 to 300 people a day and it accounts for the largest single share of COVID-19 testing in Alameda County on a daily basis.

Testing at the Center is free and available to anyone regardless of where they live or immigration status.  To be tested, individuals generally must have a fever over 100 degrees or other COVID-19 symptoms.

The Testing Center hours of operation are Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. or until the number of tests available for the day is exhausted.  Health-care workers and first-responders can make advance appointments for testing by calling the City’s COVID-19 hotline at (510) 583-4949.