Symptoms are no longer a requirement to be eligible for a COVID-19 test in Berkeley, as a site recently opened to expand the city’s testing capacity and increase access.

The site was announced in a city email sent Monday, which mentioned that the testing is free and offered by appointment only. Results take about two to three days, according to the email.

“If you have concerns about an exposure, don’t rely on symptoms as many people with COVID-19 don’t show symptoms even after having been infected,” the email states. “It can take up to two weeks for the infection to develop and for someone to test positive for COVID-19.”

According to the email, getting tested allows people to take steps to protect others from the spread of the disease and allows public health officials to easily contact trace and inform people who may have been exposed.

At the site, businesses can schedule blocks of time to test their employees, according to the email, and it can be used on a regular basis.

City Manager Dee Williams-Ridley added that the test sites “shift” the community into a “new phase,” and were made possible by Berkeley public health staff as well as the support of Mayor Jesse Arreguín and the City Council.

“We are on a path to success,” the email states. “Our vigilance in protecting ourselves and our community will help us move forward in what is still a long road ahead.”