HAYWARD, CA — The city of Hayward will open a new coronavirus testing facility on Monday, open to sick people, first responders and health care workers who may have been exposed to COVID-19.

Testing will be free and open to anyone in those groups, regardless of where they live or their immigration status, the city said in an announcement Sunday. The testing center will be at Hayward Fire Station No. 7, 28270 Huntwood Ave, open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. The city said it can test up to 350 people per day, hopefully easing the pressure on regional hospitals, which are at risk of being overloaded by coronavirus patients if the outbreak worsens.

The center is opening in partnership with Avellino Lab USA, Inc., a Menlo Park-based genetic testing lab. The center will be staffed by Hayward Fire Department firefighter-paramedics and supported by EMTs, the city said.

"Suppression, through isolation after testing ... is an approach that has proven to be most effective in countries on the leading edge of this pandemic," Hayward Fire Chief Garrett Contreras said in a statement.

