Health leaders said even as vaccinations ramp up, testing is still an important weapon in the fight against COVID, especially with new more contagious variants emerging. "It allows us to quickly understand if someone is infected and to keep that person from infecting others," Santa Clara County Testing and Vaccine Officer Dr. Marty Fenstersheib said. "It also allows us to detect concerning variants and testing is the only way to find a variant." And without testing its hard to get an accurate picture of the number of infections circulating. Fenstersheib said even though essential workers may have been vaccinated, he still recommends they get tested frequently as often as once a week. He also said others who have been vaccinated and out in the public should consider getting tested.