Monterey County officials are encouraging residents to get tested for Covid-19.

In early March when the Monterey County Public Health Lab received its first batch of Covid-19 test kits, the message to the public was: Don’t expect to be tested because there aren’t enough tests. Ten weeks later, the new message is: Come and get tested, please.

Monterey County officials began getting the word out in earnest on Wednesday, May 13, recommending to residents that they make appointments for testing at the two free test sites run by contractor OptumServe that opened on May 6.

(They’re located at Alisal High School, 777 Williams Road, Salinas, and the Greenfield branch of Monterey County Free Libraries, 315 El Camino Real. Make an appointment in advance at lhi.care/covidtesting or by calling (888) 634-1123.)

Even people with mild, and in some cases, no symptoms can get tested. Officials say say it’s a good option for anyone mildly ill, or living with someone who is ill or at high risk and for essential workers who come into contact with the public regularly.

Monterey County Health Officer Edward Moreno told reporters Wednesday that they want to keep both centers busy—especially the Greenfield site which is getting less takers—“so the state doesn’t change its mind” and move Monterey County’s locations to a higher-demand region.

Since they opened May 6, 830 people have been screened at the two sites. (The first wave were first responders, health care workers and other essential workers. The specimens were sent to Quest Diagnostics, another state contractor, for processing and results will be reported to the Health Department.)

In addition, Moreno said people with symptoms of any severity—cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fever, chills, muscle pain, sore throat, new loss of taste or smell—should call a health care provider and discuss getting tested either by the provider or at a hospital.

It’s not just keeping test sites and labs busy, Moreno said increasing the number of tests per day in the county will count toward the state’s phasing in of reopening businesses. If Monterey County can attain specific benchmarks, then certain restrictions under shelter-in-place could be lifted.

The number of tests performed per day is one such benchmark, and Monterey County needs 650 tests per day. Currently the county has the capacity for about 374 a day, including local hospitals and labs. Moreno believes the county can meet the state’s 650-per-day benchmark at some point.

If someone tests negative, they can later test positive. It is possible to be tested more than once, but the county’s epidemiologist, Kristy Michie, recommends talking it over with a health care provider first to see if repeat testing makes sense—it might, if an individual works in a crowded environment or lives with high-risk individuals, for example. Insurance companies may not cover repeat tests and it’s not yet clear if the state will cover those costs.