1 IM BRISA COLON KSBW ACTION NEWS 8... DOZENS OF COVID-19 TESTING AND TREATMENT SITES OPERATED BY THE STATE ARE GETTING READY TO SHUTDOWN... AND THAT INCLUDES LOCATIONS IN MONTEREY AND SANTA CRUZ COUNTIES. ACTION NEWS 8 REPORTER CHRISTIAN BALDERAS IS LIVE IN SALINAS WITH DETAILS. THE STATE IS CHOOSING TO SHUT DOWN ANY SITES THAT ARE OPERATING BELOW 50 PERCENT CAPACITY, AND NOW ACROSS MONTEREY AND SANTA CRUZ COUNTIES, ONLY A HANDFUL REMAIN. THERE IS ONLY ONE STATE RUN TESTING SITE IN MONTEREY COUNTY - THAT'S IN MARINA...THEY HAVE AN ATTENDANCE BELOW 50 PERCENT. IT'S BEING MONITORED CLOSELY AND COULD CLOSE IN THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE. COMPARATIVELY, THE REST OF THE SITES IN MONTEREY COUNTY WERE SEEING ONLY ABOUT 10 APPOINTMENTS A DAY, COMPARED TO 100 AT THE PEAK OF THE PANDEMIC IN 20-21. MEANWHILE, SANTA CRUZ COUNTY'S STATE- RUN SITES WILL CLOSE BY END OF NEXT MONTH AS WELL. ALL THAT SAID...THERE ARE STILL MANY OPTIONS TO GET TESTED FOR FREE - LIKE WITH SALINAS VALLEY MEMORIAL MOBILE HEALTH CLINIC. <WE DO SIMPLE URGENT CARE, WE PROVIDE VACCINES, WE DO CUTS, ABRASIONS, HEADACHES, BUT ONE THING THAT WE ADDED WHEN PANDEMIC HIT WAS COVID. COVID TESTING AND COVID VACCINATIONS. SO THAT'S SOMETHING, A NORMAL SERVICE THAT WE CARRY IN OUR CLINIC NOW AND I DON'T SEE IT ENDING ANY TIME SOON.> TO VISIT, YOU DON'T NEED INSURANCE, IDENTIFICATION OR EVEN AN APPOINTMENT. ACCORDING TO THE MANAGER OF THE PROGRAM, ATTENDANCE HAS BEEN STEADY WITH REGULAR RETURNING PATIENTS. THEY'RE NOT SEEING THE SAME STEEP DECLINE AS STATE RUN TESTING SITES. IN ADDITION VIDA IS STILL OPERATING FREE COVID TESTS THROUGHOUT MONTEREY COUNTY AND YOU CAN STILL GET FREE COVID TESTS MAILED TO YOUR HOME VIA FEDERAL PROGRAMS. THE NEWS TO SHUT DOWN DOZENS OF TESTING SITES COMES ON THE HEELS OF THE STATES COVID STATE OF EMERGENCY SCHEDULED TO END ON FEBRUARY 28TH. THIS MARKING, A NEW MILESTONE SINCE THE ONSET OF THE PANDEMIC. IN SALINAS, CHRISTIAN BALDERAS, KSBW ACTION NEWS 8. THANKS CHRISTIAN. THAT TESTING SITE IN MARINA IS AT THE COUNTY BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CENTER. AND IN SANTA CRUZ COUNTY... THE FOLLOWING SITES WILL BE CLOSING IN THE COMING WEEKS. IN SANTA CRUZ, THE OCEAN STREET LOCATION IS CLOSING FEBRUARY 3RD