Avoid emergency rooms if you need a COVID-19 test, San Joaquin County public health says

Laura S. Diaz, The Record
·2 min read
HR Support technicians perform COVID-19 tests on motorists at a free drive-up COVID testing site at Chavez High School in Stockton.
HR Support technicians perform COVID-19 tests on motorists at a free drive-up COVID testing site at Chavez High School in Stockton.

San Joaquin County Public Health Services urges county residents to avoid hospital emergency departments when wanting to get tested for COVID-19 or treat mild symptoms.

Instead of emergency rooms, county authorities encourage the community to visit sjready.org for quick access to information and appointments at local testing sites.

“Save even more time and register for COVID-19 testing at sjready.org,” Public Health Services said.

“Hospitals are needed for those with severe COVID-19 symptoms or other critical illnesses, and health care workers are finding themselves stretched to the limit again,” the agency said.

The Public Health Services Jan. 14 COVID-19 report shows increased spikes in total COVID-19 cases, testing rate and positivity rate.

This is a screenshot of the second slide of San Joaquin County Public Health Services' Jan. 14 COVID-19 data report, illustrating an increase in total COVID-19 cases in the state and county, yet total deaths do not seem to have spiked in this report.
This is a screenshot of the second slide of San Joaquin County Public Health Services' Jan. 14 COVID-19 data report, illustrating an increase in total COVID-19 cases in the state and county, yet total deaths do not seem to have spiked in this report.

Compared to the data from a year ago, some levels appear to be greater now than before, yet “there are currently data transmission issues causing major delays in case counts due to such a large influx of cases,” the agency said on the second slide of their data deck.

“This is an issue that is affecting other counties as well,” it said.

This is a screenshot of the fifteenth slide of San Joaquin County Public Health Services' Jan. 14 COVID-19 data report, illustrating an increase in both tests performed and positivity rate in the state and county.
This is a screenshot of the fifteenth slide of San Joaquin County Public Health Services' Jan. 14 COVID-19 data report, illustrating an increase in both tests performed and positivity rate in the state and county.

The agency further recommends San Joaquin County residents get vaccinated, get boosted, wear a mask and remember to “use hospitals for emergency care only,” Public Health Services said in an email.

Another resource is San Joaquin County Supervisor Kathy Miller’s and San Joaquin County Public Health Services’ Twitter feeds. As additional testing sites and hours of service change, both Miller and Public Health Services have frequently been tweeting about it.

You can view the full public report at bit.ly/3nwSNJn.

More on COVID-19 testing from January 2022:

Record reporter Laura Diaz covers social justice and societal issues. She can be reached at ldiaz@recordnet.com or on Twitter @laurasdiaz_. Support local news, subscribe to The Stockton Record at recordnet.com/subscribenow.

This article originally appeared on The Record: San Joaquin County residents urged to avoid ER for COVID-19 tests