Although administering COOVID-19 vaccinations appears to be the main priority among health professionals, COVID-19 testing remains a priority in Kern County, Kern County Public Health officials say.

County-run COVID-19 testing sites have experienced an increase in testing over the past two months, according to Michelle Corson, the spokeswoman for the Kern County Public Health Department.

“It is starting to decrease slightly after the Holidays, but overall it is still above average,” Corson said.

Despite closing some Country-run COVID-19 testing site, the total number of free testing sites has increased. There are now 11 State and County testing sites that are free.

The Good Samaritan testing site, along with Arvin Public Health Building, Adventist Health Lamont Library, and Adventist Health Delano, has closed their testing sites.

Free County or State-run testing sites currently open include:
Kern Medical – Columbus
Kern County Fairgrounds, Building 4
Clinica Sierra Vista East Bakersfield
Clinica Sierra Vista South Bakersfield
Clinica Sierra Vista Arvin
Clinica Sierra Vista Lamont
Wasco Library
Taft West Side Healthcare District
Kern Valley Healthcare District
Adventist Health Tehachapi Valley
Rosamond Library

“Testing is important to identify those who are positive, especially those who are asymptomatic, so they can isolate and reduce the spread quickly,” said Corson.

As of Tuesday, there had been 407,800 COVID-19 tests administered in Kern County. Of these tests, 94,994 tests — 23.3 percent — have come back positive.

The Kern County Public Health announced 527 new COVID-19 cases in Kern and two new deaths, bringing the total number of COVID-19 deaths in Kern to 626.

As of Feb. 1, there were 75 people in Kern’s Intensive Care Units, leaving 33 ICU beds available, according to the California Department of Public Health.

Find more testing information here.