SAN ANTONIO – San Antonio residents will no longer need a physician’s note to get a COVID-19 test, according to the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District.
Health officials say the testing criteria will now be more accessible to San Antonio residents, and anyone who is showing symptoms of the virus can be tested.
KSAT first reported on Thursday that the changes were coming.
“San Antonio has received more testing supplies. With more tests available, we are able to break down barriers that people may face to getting tests, such as access to health care providers or insurance,” said San Antonio Metro Health Director Dr. Dawn Emerick in a statement. “As community spread in San Antonio continues to increase we should all act as though we have been exposed to COVID-19. Even if you have no symptoms, you should act as though you are carrying the virus.”
Some of the symptoms of the virus include a fever over 100.4 degrees, cough and shortness of breath.
According to a previous KSAT report, Metro Health and community health centers, such as CommuniCare or CentroMed, do not currently charge for the test.
Texas MedClinic has said it charges $115 out-of-pocket for the test, plus a visit. However, it says most insurance providers should cover the cost.
COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the new virus, stands for coronavirus disease 2019. The disease first appeared in late 2019 in Wuhan, China, but spread around the world in early 2020, causing the World Health Organization to declare a pandemic in March.
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