Fresno County to distribute at-home COVID tests to restaurants
The Fresno County Health Department is set to receive 84,000 COVID-19 test kits from the state.
FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- The Fresno County Health Department is set to receive 84,000 COVID-19 test kits from the state.
According to health officials, kits will be distributed to vulnerable populations, focusing on people in the restaurant industry.
Papi's Mex Grill, in northeast Fresno, is one of five sites in the county that will serve as COVID test kit distribution locations. The owner expects to receive the tests Friday, with distribution starting as early as this weekend.
The county health department is working with the California Restaurant Association (CRA) to distribute 15,000 tests.
"It's not open to the public," explained Raul Gutierrez Jr., president of the CRA. "It will be limited to restauranteurs and their managers, or staff members that are permitted to pick them up."
Each eligible person can pick up five kits for a total of ten tests.
Gutierrez, who also owns Papi's Mex Grill, said this is a massive win for restaurants, just one of many industries impacted by the virus.
"It's not just impacting employees, but also sales," he said. "I think people are, you know, coming out to dinner just a little bit less."
The county health department also plans to work with 27 community organizations that will distribute kits to vulnerable populations.
In addition, residents in 32 zip codes will be able to request a kit online.
It's the most health-burdened and the most impacted by COVID," said Joe Prado, interim assistant director.
Health leaders will announce to the public when the website is up and running.
They also want to remind those who use an at-home test kit to report any positive results. Instructions on how to do that are included in the kit.
The five distributions locations include:
