Bay Area Community Health Offering Free COVID Vaccine and Testing Clinics

Residents Urged to Get Vaccinated and Tested to Protect Themselves and Their Families
Photo Credit: Bay Area Community Health 

Bay Area Community Health

Newark, CA – Bay Area Community Health, in collaboration with Newark Unified School District and Newark Recreation and Community Services, will host a free COVID vaccination clinic to boost low vaccination rates, especially in Latino and African-American communities in southern Alameda County. A COVID testing clinic also will be held in Gilroy.

In Alameda County, 67.5 percent of African Americans and 68.8 percent of Latinos have been fully vaccinated compared to 74.8 percent of whites.

Masks will be required at both clinics and the first 100 people getting a vaccination or to be tested will receive a free at-home rapid COVID test kit.

Vaccines: Vaccines will be available at the Alameda County Fire Department Station 28 at 7550 Thornton Avenue in Newark on Saturday, April 2, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Persons 12 years and older can receive first, second, or booster doses of the vaccines. The low-dose Pfizer vaccine will be available for children aged 5-11. Minors under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Testing: Free COVID testing will be offered on Thursday, March 31, from 10:00 a.m.to 3:00 p.m. at Arteaga’s Food Center, 6906 Automall Parkway, in Gilroy. Registration for both events is highly recommended, but drop-ins will be accepted until capacity is reached at the site.

To register for an appointment in English, visit: https://tinyurl.com/2p8m6cy5

To register for an appointment in Spanish, visit: https://tinyurl.com/246n4834

For more information or help with registration, please call the Bay Area Community Health COVID hotline at 510-252-6845.

Dr. Victor Salazar, medical director, Bay Area Community Health, still encourages people to get the vaccine. He believes that continued hesitancy, particularly among Latinos, comes from misinformation spread mainly through social media, and a lack of access to medical services. The free COVID vaccination and testing clinics for people with and without insurance will expand healthcare access for the communities that Bay Area Community Health serves.

Dr. Salazar urges people to have open, honest conversations with doctors they trust about the risks and benefits of vaccines for themselves and their children. “When most of my patients know the facts, they decide to get the vaccine,” he added.

About Bay Area Community Health

Bay Area Community Health is one of the largest Federally Qualified Health Centers in Northern California. With a service area that stretches from Union City to Gilroy, it serves more than 69,000 people who rely on high-quality healthcare services regardless of their immigration status, ethnicity, disabilities, or ability to pay.

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