All COVID-19 testing sites in the city and county of Los Angeles are back open Friday after temporary shutdowns during a week of demonstrations.
Same-day appointments are available at state-operated OptumServe sites, according to Dr. Christina Ghaly, director of the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services. Residents can also make an appointment for any of the dozens of others sites across the area, regardless of whether they are run by the state, county or city.
"We are committed to ensuring that testing is widely available to people who need them," Ghaly said. "Through our collaborative work with community clinics and other healthcare providers we are working to meet the needs of the community and provide seamless care for patients."
Any COVID-19 surge related to large protest gatherings in Southern California probably won't show up in the county health department’s data until three or four weeks, given a 14-day incubation period for the coronavirus.
Health officials and elected office-holders in Los Angeles County have expressed fear that crowded demonstrations stemming from the death of George Floyd while in Minneapolis police custody could serve as "super spreader" events and lead to a spike in coronavirus cases. Similar protests nationwide have prompted health concerns in virus hot spots.
They urged anyone who attended a protest to get a test.
