COVID-19 testing in Kern County finally matches state level, fulfilling long-sought goal
Despite a spike in local coronavirus cases, Kern County recently reached a milestone that has long been sought after by public health officials.
Since Gov. Gavin
Newsom tied counties’ coronavirus testing numbers to the ability to reopen businesses and hold other social activities like indoor church services, local officials have been urging more Kern County residents to get tested.
For months, Kern County’s testing level has lagged behind the state, with proportionally fewer residents getting tested compared to other areas. County officials have said for weeks that more than 600 people would need to be tested every day in order to meet statewide levels.
However, in the most recent weekly update, Kern County’s testing level finally matched the state median. The bump in people getting tested mostly erases a penalty the state had imposed on Kern for its low numbers that made it harder for the county to reopen businesses.
“We believe that the effort that our department and the Kern County Latino Task Force have made to increase testing within our County has made an impact,” Public Health Services Spokeswoman Michelle Corson wrote in an email to The Californian. “Our community has responded by answering the call to get tested, and we are so grateful.”
With 275.1 COVID-19 tests taking place per 100,000 residents, Kern County is now beating the state median of 272.4 tests per 100,000.
Previously, the state had artificially increased Kern County’s case rate because the testing numbers were so low.
Unfortunately for residents and businesses hoping the state will allow more economic and social activity, Kern County’s metrics are now exceeding state requirements.
With 27.6 new cases per 100,000 residents from Nov. 12 to Nov. 18, the most
recent dates available, Kern County has the 13th highest case rate in the state. In order to begin allowing indoor dining in restaurants and indoor church services, Kern County would need to drop below 7 per 100,000 residents and Newsom would need to release the “emergency brake” freezing all counties at their current status as the most recent COVID-19 surge continues.
“We have seen a huge increase in testing, and yes positive COVID-19 test results, and that’s a good thing,” said Jay Tamsi, cofounder of the Latino Task Force. “As more people take an active role in their health and take advantage of the Latino Task Force free testing sites and the county’s six other testing sites, public health is able to adequately trace and assist residents who test positive for the virus.”
The county has instituted a number of measures to incentivize residents to get tested. On Monday, several testing sites around Kern County will begin to offer $25 Visa gift cards for those
that get tests.
On Nov. 27, Supervisor Zack Scrivner spoke out against the need for the county to pay for residents to get tested.
“Obviously, these numbers are good for Kern County, and we will need to keep it up to eliminate Governor Newsom’s arbitrary ‘adjusted case rate’ penalty that he has used to punish Kern, and other counties, despite the fact that the choice to be tested is completely a voluntary action our residents make,” he wrote in an email. “As long as our ‘do as I say, not as I do’ governor continues to punish counties for having testing rates below the state average, we will have to spend precious resources on increasing our testing rates.”
Local residents have expressed interest in the gift cards. The county hopes that by offering the gift cards, even more residents will get tested, allowing public health officials to get a better grasp of how the virus is spreading throughout the community.