The Merced County Fairgrounds is the newest COVID-19 testing in the county, public health officials announced Sunday.

Because of the expected high demand, testing is open to all Merced County residents who want to be tested.

However, scheduling is by appointment only. Walk-ins will not be accepted.

How to Register

You can register online at this link or by calling 1 (888) 634-1123. Tests will be performed Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The new site has the capacity to do more than 100 tests daily, the county said. It is a partnership with the state and Optum Serve, which is a private health services company.

Testing was performed two days last week at the site for first responders, healthcare workers, and a small number of residents. Those tests served as the site’s soft opening.

The fairgrounds is at 900 Martin Luther King Jr. Way in the city of Merced.

County Covid-19 Update

Through Saturday afternoon, the Merced County Health Department had confirmed 142 positive tests, with 60 active cases. There have been 79 recoveries and three deaths.

The Merced County Public Health information line is (209) 381-1180 English, Spanish, and Hmong speaking representatives are available from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.