Yolo County to give out free COVID-19 tests in effort to shorten home isolation period

Yolo County will begin handing out free COVID-19 antigen test kits to those who have recently tested positive for the coronavirus in order to shorten the necessary period of home isolation and quarantine.

In a news release, county officials said that there will be drive-through antigen test distribution events on Monday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 137 N. Cottonwood St. in Woodland.

The move comes after the county revised its public health guidance to match that at the state level, meaning that residents in Yolo County may only have to self-isolate for as little as five days with a negative test result, improved symptoms and no fever, instead of the full 10 days.

Guidance still dictates that patients must wear a mask when around others for all 10 days.

Due to limited supply, the county is restricting the free antigen tests to those with proof of a positive coronavirus test result from within the past five days. A photo of a home test result with the date and time of the test, or a scanned or printed test result, will suffice.

Others not suffering from COVID-19 should pick up the tests on behalf of the patient, if possible. Anyone attending the distribution events must wear a mask, according to county officials. Distributions on Mondays and Fridays at the Woodland site will continue while supplies last.

The test kits distributed will contain two individual tests, which should not be taken until at least five days after the first positive test result or the onset of COVID-19 symptoms, whichever was later. County officials recommend waiting until day seven if the test on day five also produces a positive result. If that, too, is positive, then the county recommends isolating for the full 10 days.

PCR tests — or polymerase chain reaction tests — may also be used to shorten isolation periods, but will often continue to show positive results for weeks, even after the patient is no longer contagious.

This story was originally published January 8, 2022 at 1:58 PM.