LOS ANGELES (CNS) - Los Angeles County will open three new COVID-19 testing sites next week to expand access to “high-need areas'' including Montebello, South Gate and Panorama City, it was announced today.
The sites will begin to offer appointments Monday at South Gate Park, 4900 Southern Ave.; Tuesday at Montebello Civic Center, 1600 W. Beverly Blvd.; and Wednesday at 14665 Roscoe Blvd. in Panorama City.
By the end of next week, these additional sites will have the capacity to test almost 2,000 residents a day, five days a week, according to the county's Emergency Operations Center.
The city of Los Angeles is also continuing to deploy mobile testing units to communities with a high need for testing, and this week the teams are offering testing to residents in the Nickerson Gardens housing development and in the Boyle Heights neighborhood.
“Our communities of color have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 due to decades of systemic inequities and this is unacceptable,'' Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda L. Solis said. “While a County testing site may ask for insurance information in order to recover costs, no one will be turned away for being uninsured.''
The city of Los Angeles last week opened a new site at the Veterans Affairs' Parking Lot 15, at Jackie Robinson Stadium.
“Testing helps us track this virus, stop its spread and saves lives, so it's imperative that Los Angeles continue delivering more tests than ever and deploying mobile testing to hard-hit communities,'' Mayor Eric Garcetti said.
The city and county's COVID-19 testing sites have a combined capacity to test more than 140,000 people a day, according to a joint statement. Since launching free testing in March, 1.2 million tests to have been provided to residents.
People can visit covid19.lacounty.gov/testing/ or coronavirus.lacity.org/testing for the full list of sites and the most up-to-date information on availability.
Testing is prioritized for people who have symptoms, are at high risk of contracting the virus and essential workers, but any Los Angeles County resident can make an appointment for a test.
COVID-19 testing is also offered at select CVS, Rite-Aid, Federally Qualified Health Centers and Los Angeles County Department of Health Services-operated health centers.
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