Backlog at Covid testing lab halts Sonoma Valley’s free service

The Sonoma Valley Community Health Center has suspended Covid-19 testing because of a processing delay with Quest Diagnostics. The vendor, one of the country’s largest and busiest testing labs, has suspended shipments of new tests while it catches up with backlog demand for results.

The SVCHC has been offering free tests at two Sonoma Valley sites. “We won’t be able to resume community testing until potentially July 25, but will notify you as soon as we receive tests,” said the SVCHC’s Maricarmen Reyes. “Though we know state site appointments are 1-2 weeks out, we will encourage people to call OptumServe or Verily, in addition to reaching out to their primary care providers (i.e. Kaiser and other health centers).”

According to national reports, Quest Diagnostics said its average turnaround time for a COVID-19 test is now at “seven or more days,” up from four to five days at the end of June. Its testing backlog is getting worse because of the high demand in parts of the country where infection is spreading.