California Coronavirus Testing Task Force

In April 2020, Governor Gavin Newsom established the California COVID-19 Testing Task Force to quickly and significantly increase the state’s COVID-19 testing capacity. The Task Force works to ensure that every Californian who needs a test can get one. The Task Force is lead by Dr. Kathleen Jacobson with the California Department of Public Health.

Mission

The Testing Task Force (TTF) supports California’s SMARTER response to COVID-19 by increasing access to testing for all Californians, particularly communities at higher risk. Timely testing can reduce the spread of COVID-19 and lead individuals to early treatment. Genomic surveillance by the TTF also provides awareness of emerging variants and trends to inform public health action and policy

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Find a Test-to-Treat Site

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Find a Testing Site

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Temporary Extension of At-Home Test Kit Expirations (PDF)

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Temporary Extension of CLIA-waived test Point of Care Tests (PDF)

Goals of Testing Task Force

Develop expert guidance to better understand and implement testing.
Drive targeted initiatives to improve testing access, timeliness, and equity.
Leverage innovative technologies and strategies to reduce barriers to testing.
Facilitate testing through trusted community and school sites.
Support SARS-CoV-2 genomic surveillance and epidemiology through COVIDNet.
Operationalize state-sponsored Test to Treat sites.
Share data and track progress on access to testing and treatment.

How Testing Data is Tracked

Most labs and local health departments report COVID-19 test results via the California Reportable Disease Information Exchange (CalREDIE), a system managed by CDPH. Labs and local health departments are required to report both positive and negative COVID-19 results. This daily, point-in-time data is collected in CalREDIE each afternoon and reported to the public the following day.

Additional Resources

Guidance for Schools Performing Waived Antigen Testing

Guidance for Congregate Living Facilities Performing Waived Antigen Testing (ca.gov)

COVID-19: Information for Laboratories Home Page (contains additional Laboratory Field Services links and resources)

COVID-19 Testing Task Force Lab List

Expanding Access to Testing: Guidance on Testing for COVID-19

Updated COVID-19 Testing Guidance

Expanding Access to Community Testing

The Color Lab Network is a group of laboratories contracted by the Testing Task Force for molecular testing.
OptumServe sites have partnered with the Testing Task Force to both expand testing and provide test-to-treat access to COVID-19 therapeutics at no charge. Click here to find an appointment: https://lhi.care/covidtesting.
For more information about School Testing, visit the Testing Task Force’s School Testing webpage.