Los Angeles to increase coronavirus testing capacity as numbers continue to spike

LOS ANGELES - As the number of coronavirus cases continue to rise across Southern California, Mayor Eric Garcetti announced that the city will be expanding its testing capacity.

During a press briefing Wednesday afternoon, Garcetti said the city is increasing daily testing to meet with high demands. The city will go from a testing capacity of 7,700 to 13,700. The mayor says that is a 6,000 increase across several city testing sites.

“To put it into perspective, 1 out of 400 people in Los Angeles County have had or do have COVID-19 and they have been infectious to those around them. That’s why wearing a face covering, that’s why practicing physical distancing, washing our hands and yes as painful as it might sound, staying at home as much as we can is in our best defense of saving lives,” Garcetti stated.

In addition to city and county testing sites, coronavirus tests are available through CVS pharmacy as well as healthcare providers.

Officials say testing is always free and no one should be charged.

The mayor also stated Wednesday that overall hospitalizations of people with COVID-19 have increased in the city.

More than 30 additional deaths due to the coronavirus were reported today by Los Angeles County health officials, along with more than 1,260 new cases.
Overall the county has reported 89,490 cases and 3,205 deaths.

You can sign up for a free testing on the city’s website http://Coronavirus.LACity.org/Testing.