LOS ANGELES (CNS) - The city of Los Angeles today began offering free COVID-19 testing to any resident who wants one, regardless of whether they are showing any symptoms.
According to the mayor's office, the city's free testing offer extends to any resident of Los Angeles County, but only at the eight testing locations within the city of Los Angeles. People must make appointments by visiting the city's testing website, coronavirus.lacity.org/testing. Although anyone can get tested, priority will still be given to people displaying symptoms and to front-line workers such as health care professionals and first responders.
Los Angeles County as a whole has not changed its policy that authorizes testing only for people who are displaying symptoms of the illness.
Mayor Eric Garcetti announced the free testing offer during his nightly coronavirus briefing Wednesday night.
“We have been opening up each night to more and more people, and still at the end of the day we have those tests that are left over,” Garcetti said. “We had the confidence that we could move forward (with testing more people).”
The expanded testing is being done in cooperation with the county and actor Sean Penn's Community Organized Relief Effort program, or CORE.
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