01/10/2022 Yolo County Offers COVID-19 Home Tests to Residents Who Have Tested Positive in the Previous 5 Days
Post Date: 01/07/2022 4:43 PM
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
John Fout, Public Information Officer
Phone: (530) 666-8042
Email: John.Fout@yolocounty.org
(Woodland, CA) – On Monday, January 10, Yolo County will begin distributing free home antigen test kits to residents and workers seeking to shorten their isolation period to less than 10 days. Yolo County recently revised its COVID-19 guidance to align with the State of California’s reduced isolation and quarantine period. The revised guidance allows individuals who have tested positive for COVID-19 to shorten their isolation to less than 10 days if they have no symptoms or symptoms are improving (including no fever for 24 hours without taking fever-reducing medicines) AND test negative for COVID-19 on day 5 or later. Individuals who end their isolation before day 10 must wear a face mask that fits and filters well over their mouth and nose when around others through day 10.
Either a PCR or antigen test can be used to shorten the isolation period. However, many individuals will continue to test positive by PCR for weeks or even months after their initial COVID-19 infection, even though they are no longer contagious. For this reason, antigen tests are preferred for shortening the isolation period. Due to limited supplies, the antigen test kits being provided by the County are available only for individuals who have tested positive in the previous 7 days. Persons seeking test kits must present documentation of their positive COVID-19 test results at the distribution site. Proof of a positive test can be provided electronically using a smartphone or tablet, or by showing a printout of test results. Home antigen test results are now accepted as proof of a positive test result. Individuals can document their home test result with a photo of the test result, the individual’s name, and the date and time of collection.
Yolo County will host drive-thru home antigen test distribution events in Woodland on Monday January 10th and Friday January 14th from 10am to 3pm at 137 N. Cottonwood St. All individuals are required to be wearing a mask and must show proof of positive test result. If possible, people with COVID-19 seeking a home test should have a family member or acquaintance pick up a test for them while they isolate at home to mitigate the spread of the virus. The drive-thru event will be hosted at this site continuously on Mondays and Fridays until supply is exhausted. The County is also working to make additional drive-thru events available in West Sacramento.
In addition to the upcoming drive-thru distributions, Yolo County is working with community partners to provide tests at other community locations. Healthy Yolo Together testing sites will have home tests available on-site for persons who test positive using rapid tests and for pickup. Persons seeking tests for pickup are required to be wearing a mask and must show proof of positive test result. ORALE will have home test kits available on-site only for persons who test positive using rapid tests. For information on HYT testing sites, please visit, healthydavistogether.org. For information on ORALE COVID-19 testing sites in rural communities, please visit the ORALE COVID-19 website.
Each test kit provided by Yolo County will contain 2 tests. The first test should be used no earlier than day 5 after symptoms began or the initial positive test was collected, whichever came later. The first day of symptoms or the day of the positive test is considered day zero. Persons should wait until their symptoms have improved and they have been without fever for 24 hours before testing. If the first test on day 5 or later is positive, the person should remain in isolation and wait until day 7 or later to test again using the second test. If the second test is positive, the person should continue to isolate for the full 10 days.
Please remember to visit our COVID-19 Testing & Quarantine website for up to date information on these events. For information on the new guidelines and COVID-19, visit https://www.yolocounty.org/covid. The CDC and the California Department of Public Health also offer additional resources on COVID-19.
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