Los Angeles County Expands Testing Sites To Libraries, Relaunches Mail-Order Program
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — Even as infections wane, county public health officials continue to expand its COVID-19 testing offerings throughout Los Angeles County.
The LA County Department of Public Health will expand its pick-up COVID testing program to 14 new county library sites capable of providing 7,000 more free testing kits a day. With the expansion, more than 13,000 testing kits will be available daily to Los Angeles County residents without an appointment.
The tests that will be provided are not rapid antigen tests and will require registration online with a smartphone. They should be used immediately, and returned to the site where they were picked up, with results coming in between 24 to 28 hours via email.
The test kits cannot be reserved, and will be distributed on a first-come basis. County officials say there is a limit of one kit per person, or two kits per family.
The county also relaunched its mail-order testing program on an "intermittent schedule and with new guidelines." LA County residents who are symptomatic or believes they were exposed to COVID can order a home testing kit, which will be delivered and returned via FedEx. Test results from these tests are available within 48 hours after the lab has received the sample.
LA County's Department of Health Services urged residents to seek out testing at pre-screened sites. Testing sites should offer their services with no out-of-pocket costs, regardless of health insurance or immigration status, and offer FDA-approved tests.
"It is important that LA County residents understand that not all COVID-19 testing sites are affiliated with or are operated by LA County," a statement said. "COVID testing sites are also being operated by private companies, private health care systems and local municipalities, and some privately operated sites may charge for their testing services."
The county Department of Health Services operates 70 testing sites, but 230 more listed on the county's testing site are operated by testing partners. The county says it does not have oversight over testing sites not directly operated by the county's Department of Health Services.