Kings Health officials shifts gears, will transform county COVID-19 testing site to a vaccination site

As a testing site since May, over 22,000 samples were collected at the Kings County Day Reporting Center (DRC), and it will no longer serve as a testing site for COVID-19.

Kings County Health Department officials are expecting a start-up date of Wednesday (February 24). The site will begin delivering vaccinations, possibly up to 120 to 240 shots per day, with the capacity to accommodate up to 420 vaccine appointments per day, depending on the available supply.

The Kings County Day Reporting Center is located at 1520 Kings County Dr. in Hanford.

The OptumServe vaccine site will operate Tuesday through Saturday between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m.  Since it is a State-operated vaccination site, appointments must be scheduled through the MyTurn.ca.gov scheduling platform or by calling 1-833-422-4255.  

The vaccines, to be administered by OptumServe at the DRC, will be allocated as a portion of what the Kings County Department of Public Health (KCDPH) and other healthcare providers and pharmacies already receive. However, the overall number of available doses in Kings County should increase as a result of this change. Initial doses are to be delivered directly to KCDPH for transfer to OptumServe.  

“We have noticed a sharp, steady decrease in the number of individuals being tested for COVID-19 at the DRC and other locations,” said Director of the Kings County Department of Public Health, Edward Hill.  “Though it is still extremely important that we continue testing for COVID-19 infections to minimize the spread of the disease, it is even more crucial that we quickly administer vaccines to as many Kings County residents as possible to prevent serious illness.”

While OptumServe begins its vaccination clinic, KCDPH will temporarily use TimeTap to schedule vaccine appointments for eligible residents of Kings County. Please visit the KCDPH vaccine page at http://www.kingscovidinfo.com to schedule your appointment. Please note that proof of address and/or employment status in Kings County will be required at the time of your appointment. 

The Kings County Department of Public Health will continue to operate its free mobile testing throughout the County, Saturday through Thursday. Please visit www.kingscovidinfo.com for the current mobile testing schedule and other COVID-19 testing options, including an interactive map and a list of medical providers.