New Coronavirus Testing Sites Open In South LA, Pasadena

PASADENA (CBSLA) – Two new COVID-19 testing sites are opening in Los Angeles County Wednesday as the testing shortage continues to be an issue across the region.

South L.A. is getting its first testing site Wednesday, a mobile testing site at the Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science.

This comes as new numbers Tuesday revealed that African-Americans are seeing higher coronavirus death rates across the county than other ethnicities.

Officials also admitted that residents in low-income areas are having a tougher time getting access to testing than those in higher-income ones.

"One thing that we know already is that testing is happening much less in communities where most of the people who are living are living in poverty or close to poverty," L.A. County Public Health Director Dr. Barbara Ferrer told reporters Tuesday.

So far, at least 35,300 people have been tested countywide, with 14 percent coming in positive. However, there are an estimated 20,000 negative lab results which have not yet been reported by commercial labs, so the rate is believed to be inflated.

Drive-thru testing was also taking place outside the Rose Bowl in Pasadena from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday. It will be open to 100 people. To qualify you must be age 65 and older with symptoms, have underlying health conditions with symptoms, or are in quarantine after being exposed to a COVID-19 patient, the city of Pasadena said.

Preregistration is required through the Los Angeles County website.

There are currently 16 drive-thru testing sites across L.A. County and one walk-up testing site.

They are located here:

• Antelope Valley Mall (1233 Rancho Vista Blvd., Palmdale, CA 91768)
• Pomona Fairplex (Gate 17 - W. McKinley/Fairplex Drive)
• South Bay Galleria (1815 Hawthorne Blvd., Redondo Beach, CA 90278)
• Carbon Health - Echo Park - Walk-Up Only (2110 Sunset Blvd., Suite M, Los Angeles, CA 90026)
• Crenshaw Christian Center (7901 S. Vermont Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90044)
• Glendale Memorial Hospital (222 W. Eulalia St., Glendale, CA 91204)
• Hansen Dam Recreational Center (entrance on Osborne St., 11798 Foothill Blvd., Lake View Terrace, CA 91342)
• High Desert Medical Group (43839 15th St. W., Lancaster, CA 93534
• Hotchkin Memorial Training Center (1700 Stadium Way, Los Angeles, CA 90012)
• VA Parking Lot 15 (at corner of Constitution and Davis, 100 Constitution Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90095
• Northridge Hospital Medical Center (18460 Roscoe Blvd., Northridge, CA 91325 (enter on Reseda Blvd.)
• Lincoln Park (3501 Valley Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90095)
• Altmed Commere Urgent Care (972 Goodrich Blvd., Commerce, CA 90022)
• Altamed Pico Rivera Urgent Care (6336 Passons Blvd., Pico Rivera, CA 90660)
• Altamed South Gate Urgent Care (8627 Atlantic Ave., South Gate, CA 90280)
• Long Beach City College (1305 E. Pacific Coast Hwy., Long Beach, CA 90806)
• Altamed West Covina Urgent Care (1300 S. Sunset Ave., West Covina, CA 91790)

To get tested, you must preregister online and make an appointment.

On Monday, L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti announced that countywide testing would now be open to anyone displaying coronavirus symptoms.