Los Angeles will offer testing to residents regardless of whether they are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms or not.

Los Angeles becomes the first major city to offer free coronavirus testing to everyone

Los Angeles offers free trials to any resident who wants it.

Photo:
Maddie Meyer / Getty Images

Los Angeles on Wednesday became the first major city in the United States to offer free coronavirus testing to anyone, regardless of whether or not they have symptoms of COVID-19, the mayor said. Eric Garcetti at a press conference on Wednesday.

But those with COVID-19 symptoms will have first priority, Garcetti added.

Los Angeles has the ability to perform approximately 9% of all tests in the United States, Garcetti said.

In other regions of California Efforts are underway to understand the spread of the virus by testing those who are not actively experiencing symptoms.

Bolinas was the first city in the state to offer generalized testing to residents.

The effort, which began earlier this month, is part of a research project conducted by the Bolinas community, located in Marin County, and the University of California, San Francisco.

The University of California at San Francisco also launched an effort of its own to offer diagnostic tests and antibodies to COVID-19 5,700 residents living in a specific section of the Mission District, San Francisco's densest neighborhood, with the intention of collect data on the prevalence of COVID-19 in the area.

Across the country, states contend that although COVID-19 testing is increasing, there is still not enough evidence available.

As the country begins to reopen, medical experts say the goal is that testing should increase, along with contact tracing and other efforts, to be able to quickly diagnose and isolate those who could be contagious before they can transmit the virus to others.

Los Angeles accounts for almost half of the state's coronavirus cases. He has more than 22,000 confirmed cases, out of 48,746 in California.

Reports of COVID-19 cases in California continue to rise. Over the past week, the state has averaged 1,516 new cases and 79 new deaths per day.

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