Kings County to start offering free COVID-19 testing in rural communities

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- There's already a state COVID-19 testing site at the day reporting center in Hanford.

But now, the Kings County Public Health Department is offering testing outside their Hanford offices on Monday's.

Throughout the rest of the week, they'll also be testing their satellite clinics in Lemoore, Corcoran, and Avenal.

They'll bring their mobile unit to the communities of Kettleman City and Stratford.

It's all part of the county's new rotating testing schedule.

"The idea is to test as widely as possible, understand the disease more, (and) make sure everybody has an opportunity to get tested," said Kings County Public Health Director Ed Hill. "And we're just going to continue to move down this path so that hopefully one of these days we'll be able to test everybody in the county."

Wide-scale testing also continues inside prison facilities located within Kings County.

More than 90 inmates have tested positive for COVID-19 at Corcoran State Prison.

Hundreds more have been affected in a massive outbreak at Avenal State Prison.

RELATED: Protest held at Avenal State Prison after COVID-19 outbreak inside facility

Kings County Public Health Director Ed Hill doesn't believe those cases will hinder the county's efforts to continue reopening other sectors of the economy.

"So at this time, I would say no, with the caveat that we still have to base all these decisions based on our local epidemiological data and what's occurring in our county," Hill said. "So again at this time, no, but moving forward, the data, and the infection rate, and everything that goes along with that will make that determination."

Community testing is free and available to anyone, including the undocumented and uninsured.

To find out where the public health department is testing this month, see below.