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In Menlo Park, getting a COVID-19 test may be more convenient than ever, with the launch of several testing sites throughout the city.
On Dec. 7, a new testing kiosk operated by Curative that is set to offer 1,650 COVID tests per week was launched in Menlo Park. In addition, neighborhood testing through Curative has also been in effect since mid-November in the Belle Haven neighborhood.
The new kiosk is located at 201 Ravenswood Ave. in a parking lot owned by SRI and near the First Church of Christ Scientist, across Middlefield Road from Menlo-Atherton High School. The testing system uses a self-administered oral swab technique, so people collect their own testing samples, but the site is overseen by Curative employees, according to a company spokesperson.
People are encouraged to register in advance for a test at curative.com, but there is some walk-up capacity as well. People 5 years old and up are eligible for testing.
Menlo Park City School District Superintendent Erik Burmeister worked with various stakeholders to reach an agreement to launch the testing site there, according to district spokesperson Parke Treadway.
The school district is only paying the electricity costs to operate the kiosk, Treadway said. People who sign up for testing are expected to input their insurance information, which is billed for the tests. However, people may also access testing for free if they are uninsured.
“We felt it was important to make testing as easy to the community as possible,” she added.
Since reopening to students in September, the district has reported a total of 19 COVID-19 cases over 13 weeks, according to the district website.
The district has suggested that students be tested every two weeks but not mandated it, Treadway said. There were a number of organized testing events with Curative at the schools previously, but in each instance there was more demand than the one-day testing event could supply, she said.
Belle Haven testing
Since mid-November, a team of about a dozen paid volunteers, recruited from within the neighborhood, has been helping to operate pop-up testing sites in Belle Haven, according to Menlo Park Mayor Cecilia Taylor.
The effort, supported by the community organization Belle Haven Action and San Mateo County, offers neighborhood residents testing at central, convenient sites and times, taking place when food aid is being distributed at the Onetta Harris Community Center or each week during the farmers market near Belle Haven Elementary, Taylor said. The volunteers have also offered private testing events for seniors at the Sequoia Belle Haven apartments.
Using neighborhood volunteers to oversee the tests can help residents feel more familiar and safe while accessing testing, she said.
The program, supported through the county’s allocation of federal CARES Act funding, is currently set to expire at the end of the year, Taylor said.
The tests at these events are also from Curative and are administered by swabbing one’s mouth. People can sign up through curative.com or walk up. Access the event schedule here.
