The service is free and everyone, regardless of immigration status, can attend
A new site was opened this Friday, this time inside Cal State LA University, to test coronavirus for residents of Los Angeles County.
The effort, made possible by the partnership between the educational center, Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda L. Solis, OptumServe, the Department of Public Health, and Governor Gavin Newsom's Office of Emergency Services, is focused on serving to the local community and help stop the spread of the virus.
Supervisor Solís said that the more testing locations are available, the more opportunities there will be for people to take the test. The new location is located at the Rongxiang Xu Bioscience Innovation Center.
"It is especially important in this area, where many people are unaware of the impacts this virus has on our communities," he said.
He added that it is common in his area to see working families without health insurance or with insufficient insurance and therefore do not seek access to medical care.
For this reason, he decided that one of his priorities would be to increase access to the COVID-19 test sites.
"Preliminary demographics have revealed that communities of color have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19," he said.
“I will do my best to remove barriers to testing. This virus does not discriminate; It has the potential to impact all communities. "
How to access the tests?
The new testing site partnership comes after Governor Gavin Newsom's recent announcement to add more than 80 testing sites in the state for underserved communities.
The exams are free for everyone including undocumented people.
Testing will be by appointment only by calling 2-1-1 Monday through Friday. Parking will be available for those who confirm their appointments and priority will continue to be given to people with COVID-19 symptoms and essential workers who interact with the public.
Upon arrival, people should walk to the location where the test is performed. With a self-administered oral swab, users should rub their mouth or throat according to the instructions provided.
The testing process takes 5-10 minutes and is expected to administer up to 132 tests per day.
Cal State LA Executive Vice President and President José A. Gómez said that as the nation and the world work to contain this pandemic, Cal State LA will continue to do its part to serve the public good and meet its needs.
"All members of our community, from families to first responders and frontline medical workers, will be able to get tested quickly and accurately," he said.
Dr. Christina R. Ghaly of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health Services added that the Cal State LA testing site is the first of several new sites for testing.
"This is one of several sites to expand trial access to communities of color … We are grateful for the partnership with Cal State LA to support the health of the East Los Angeles community and the county's broader efforts to reopen gradual ”.
To find out about the test sites you can visit: covid19.lacounty.gov/testing.
