SACREMENTO, Calif. — California has conducted 1 million coronavirus tests so far, averaging 35,000 daily tests according to Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Newsom announce Tuesday that the California Department of Consumer Affairs and State Board of Pharmacy will allow pharmacists to collect specimens for COVID-19 tests and order tests for consumers. The specimens will be delivered to and processed at public health, university or commercial labs.
The state has also created a new “Medi-Nurse” line available for Medi-Cal patients without a health plan (fee for service) and uninsured Californians. The line – 1-877-409-9052 – is available 24/7 for COVID-19 concerns or for general medical issues. Those who have health insurance may visit covid19.ca.gov and use the telehealth zip code finder to access their health insurance plan’s telehealth and nurse help lines.
Increasing testing is one of the six critical indicators guiding California’s Resilience Roadmap. Newsom said ensuring the state has sufficient capacity to test for COVID-19 and ability to conduct contact tracing when outbreaks surface are key indicators in the state’s gradual efforts to modify the stay at home order, as laid out in the Resilience Roadmap.
