With the winter season upon us and local coronavirus cases increasing again, Santa Barbara County Public Health officials have been recommending people get tested for the virus before traveling or gathering with others.
“Being able to test is really a powerful tool we should utilize,” said Public Health Officer Dr. Henning Ansorg. “It’s really an extra safety measure we can take.”
Ansorg has also been urging people to get vaccinated or get the booster shot if fully vaccinated, especially as the likelihood of the Omicron variant coming to the area looms.
The Omicron variant has proven to be highly transmissible, and Ansorg said that reinfection in those who have already had COVID-19 is very likely with the new variant.
Nearby San Luis Obispo County reported its first case of the Omicron variant on Friday, and Santa Barbara County officials have said that, although the Omicron variant has not yet been officially detected in the county, it is likely already here.
Community Testing Sites
While the Buellton community testing site closed earlier in December and the Goleta Valley Community Center testing site will be shutting down on Dec. 30 due to the sites being underutilized, the county Public Health Department still has four other free testing sites open to the public.
Public Health testing sites include the Santa Maria Fairpark, open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and the Lompoc Health Care Center testing trailer, open by appointment from 9 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.
In South County, the Santa Barbara testing trailer at 267 Camino Del Remedio is open by appointment only from 9 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, and the mini-bus at Direct Relief testing site, located at 6100 Wallace Becknell Road in Goleta, is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Information and registration for these testing sites can be found on the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department’s website.
Free COVID-19 testing is also available at local pharmacies such as Walgreens, CVS, Rite-Aid, and others, with information available on each pharmacy’s website.
Results for COVID-19 tests at community testing centers are typically available in about one to two days from the test.
At-Home Testing
At-home testing kits are also available for the public to purchase at local pharmacies.
Ansorg said that any available at-home test is acceptable, and that they are highly reliable.
Because these tests can be conducted quickly at home, Ansorg said, they are good for testing before visiting family or anyone who may be immunocompromised.
The two types of diagnostic COVID-19 tests are PCR tests — also known as molecular tests or nucleic acid amplification tests (NAAT) — and rapid antigen tests.
PCR tests are typically sent to a lab to be tested after samples are collected at home, and results are available one to two days after tests are received at the lab.
Rapid antigen tests can be conducted completely at home, and results are available in about 10 to 15 minutes. Rapid antigen tests are best for detecting infections in those who have COVID-19 symptoms, and two tests may be needed for accurate readings.
With both types of tests, samples are collected with nasal or nasopharyngeal swabs.
Local pharmacy staff have said that the demand for at-home COVID-19 testing kits is currently very high, and one CVS employee said that it has been “every other customer” asking for the testing kits.
As of Monday afternoon, several local pharmacies were sold out of at-home testing kits, although Walgreens in Goleta said the BinaxNOW rapid antigen test will be restocked this Thursday.
When they are restocked, at-home COVID-19 testing kits can be found locally at CVS, Walgreens, Rite-Aid and Target, as well as online.
Prices for at-home testing kits vary depending on the brand, type and store, with PCR tests ranging in pricing from about $99 to about $125, and rapid antigen tests costing between about $10 and about $40.
— Noozhawk staff writer Serena Guentz can be reached at sguentz@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.