Can you get a coronavirus test in California if you want one? It depends

California officials say it’s no longer possible for everyone who wants a COVID-19 test to get one because of lab delays and supply shortages.

So who can get a test? That depends on where a person ranks under new guidance the Newsom administration unveiled this month for testing sites and labs to determine whom to schedule for testing and which samples to test first.

Hospital patients with coronavirus symptoms are the highest priority, along with people public health departments believe are connected to an outbreak.

Everyone else with COVID-19 symptoms is in Tier Two, along with people who have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive.

Health care workers, emergency responders like police and firefighters and people who live or work in group settings including nursing homes, prisons and homeless shelters are also in Tier Two, even if they don’t have symptoms. The second tier also includes asymptomatic hospital patients and people who care for elderly or disabled people.

Tier Three encompasses essential workers who don’t have symptoms but frequently interact with others, specifically workers in retail, manufacturing, food services and production, agriculture, transportation and education.

Everyone else is in Tier Four, which the state’s guidelines stipulate will only “be implemented when the state’s testing turnaround time, as monitored by CDPH, is less than 48 hours.” Currently, the wait for results can stretch well past a week.

That means many people who don’t have symptoms or haven’t come into contact with an infected person likely can’t get a test until turnaround times improve, said Dr. Gil Chavez, the new co-chair of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s testing task force.

The state developed the priority tiers in response to nationwide test supply shortages to ensure that people in hospitals, essential workers and public health workers determine were exposed are able to find out if they have the virus as quickly as possible, Chavez said.

“Are we at a point right now where we can say everyone who wants a test needs to get a test? The answer is no,” Chavez said Monday. “Today, we need to prioritize testing for those who need it most and for public health purposes.”

Ghaly said he still encourages people who think they may be infected with COVID-19 to call their doctor or local testing site to determine whether they should be tested.

“Individuals who are concerned should reach out to their providers and ask the question,” Ghaly said during a Tuesday press conference. “This guide is really for providers and labs to be able to support individuals seeking testing to understand where they fit into our tiering system.”

So far, Ghaly said some people in high priority categories have gotten results “a little bit faster” since the new guidance came out.

Chavez said the Newsom administration is working to increase the supply of tests and cut down on wait times for results so the state can return to offering tests to all who want them.

———

©2020 The Sacramento Bee (Sacramento, Calif.)

Visit The Sacramento Bee (Sacramento, Calif.) at www.sacbee.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.