San Francisco drops free Covid testing sites

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The San Francisco Department of Public Health is permanently closing the Alemany COVID-19 testing facility at 100 Alemany Boulevard on Jan. 31, in line with what the agency says is declining demand for the site’s testing services.

The department reports that 29% of people served by the test site report having private insurance, and visits have declined over the past year. The Health Department said it encourages those with insurance to seek reimbursement for at-home tests and advised all residents to order free tests through the federal government through this site.

In addition, the city plans to scale down some of its mobile test facilities, which operate in partnership with healthcare provider Optum, including:

• City Central Test Van at 101 Grove Street (Last day of operation Jan 30)
• Potrero Hill test van at 107 Dakota Street (last day of operation January 31st)
• BHS Central Administration Test Van at 1390 Howard Street (last day of operation Feb 1)
• City College Even Center testing the van at 2:00 pm Evans. Ave (last day of work February 2)
• SFPDH Administrative Test Van at 25 Van Ness Avenue (Last day of operation Feb. 3)

The city still has several outdoor testing sites in operation, including SoMa’s Kapwa Gardens, the Bayview Opera House and the Ella Hill Hutch community center, but hours and places are limited compared to the peak of the pandemic. A full list of testing locations in the city can be found here.

After a surge late last year, the number of Covid cases in the city continued to decline in the second half of December and January. And as the pandemic drags on into its third year, governments are pulling back on subsidies for Covid testing and treatment.

The Biden administration extended its Covid public health emergency declaration for the 11th time this month, but Politico said officials are aiming to lift the state of emergency as early as the spring.

According to Gov. Gavin Newsom, California is expected to end its Covid State of Emergency on February 28, 2023.

Moderna and Pfizer, makers of the two leading mRNA vaccines, are preparing to shift their operations to commercial markets and have announced plans to raise the price of their products to market value.

In an analysis, the Kaiser Family Foundation found that while most people will still have free access through insurance coverage, the uninsured and underinsured may face new price barriers.

“It worries me,” said Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease expert at the University of California, San Francisco. “Any barrier to treatment creates a big difference between the haves and have-nots.”

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