Same-day drive-thru testing available as testing ramps up in the SCV
Residents showing COVID-19 symptoms now have access to free, same-day drive-thru testing at up to 30 sites countywide as coronavirus testing ramps up, including a site in the Santa Clarita Valley.
Los Angeles County announced Friday that those showing symptoms — a cough, fever and difficulty breathing — can schedule an appointment regardless of age, underlying health issues, insurance or immigration status.
Same-day testing applies to Santa Clarita’s only county-operated drive-thru test site at College of the Canyons, located at 26455 Rockwell Canyon Road.
Since its April 8 opening, the center has increased the number of
tests administered from 250 to 350 per day, seven days a week, according to Pono Barnes, a public information officer for the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
“We’re filling all of our reservations or appointment slots at this specific location, and across the county, we’re able to test more than 11,000 people a day,” he said, adding that operations “have been a very calculated and coordinated effort. I think the expectation was that everybody was going to be running to get tested and it was going to be hectic but it was never the case. The most I’ve ever seen queued up in line waiting was about six cars.”
Increased testing
Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital has steadily increased its testing, reaching nearly 500 tests administered since the start of its response to the pandemic. Over the past 10 days, the hospital has reported an average of 14 new tests per day.
Kaiser Permanente, which has also set up drive-thru test sites across Southern California for its members, “has the capacity to perform up to 1,500 tests a day for the novel coronavirus. Tests done internally are usually available in 24 hours or less,” said spokeswoman Chelsi Schriver.
Across California, approximately 246,400 tests have been conducted as of Wednesday, according to Gov. Gavin Newsom, who has reiterated that increased testing statewide will help pave the way toward incrementally easing the stay-athome restrictions.
As testing becomes more readily available, “we’ll see less of demand at the individual sites. I think the weight will be carried over the entire system and our network of testing sites,” said Barnes.
Countywide testing
During the Friday afternoon daily press conference held by the county, Dr. Clayton Kazan, the medical director for the Los Angeles County Fire Department who had been tapped by the Board of Supervisors to head up the development of the county testing system, said the county had taken great strides over the last month in terms of its testing capabilities.
“(On March 18) there were only a few labs capable of doing the (COVID-19) testing here, and most specimens were sent out of state, doctors couldn’t order the tests and patients had very little access over the ensuing weeks.”
Kazan said that in less than a month, the county was able to create 30 mobile testing centers and process up to 11,000 tests per day and virtually all the tests are now processed in the Los Angeles area.
“It’s not a perfect system, I understand that there are some concerns around the turnaround time, and it has been a little bit bumpy,” said Kazan. “But we’re getting better every day and we ask that you bear with us as our labs in particular get caught up.”
Kazan said that now that the system and infrastructure for testing has been established, he and his team would be handing the reins for the testing sites over to the Department of Public Health and infectious disease specialists.
As of Friday, 74,000 tests have been administered countywide with 14% of those returning positive, according to DPH officials.
How to get a test appointment
To get tested, residents must schedule an appointment via lacovidprod.service-now. com/rrs. Applicants will have to answer a series of questions to determine eligibility. If eligible, individuals should receive an appointment confirmation number by email.
People without a vehicle can still get tested as long as they have an appointment. Walk-up appointments are not available, the county said in a news release Friday.