Appointments At LA County, City COVID-19 Testing Sites Nearly Completely Filled Up
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — Those looking to get a free COVID-19 test through the city and county of Los Angeles testing sites may be out of luck.
People are reporting that there are no available appointments as Mayor Eric Garcetti continues to urge anyone who wants a test to get one.
Last week, both the city and county of L.A. COVID-19 testing sites were all booked up as Garcetti's office said more appointments would be added later in the week.
"Last week, I ordered more tests as demand surged at the beginning of last week, to meet the demand," Garcetti said. "This past weekend, 18,500 people were tested."
Jessica Brooks was one of those people hoping to get a test. Her dad recently suffered from a stroke and she is working to move him out of rehab and into assisted living with her mom.
"In order for me to be allowed in...you need a new COVID test within 48 hours of entering the facility," Brooks said. "I even woke up at 3:30 in the morning to try to get some slots, and there just aren't any at all."
The COVID-19 testing website for L.A. does not currently allow people to search for appointments through the county's link. Instead, there is a pop-up message saying "no appointments available."
Out of the city's testing sites, only one appointment could be found and it was at the Hanson Dam site on Thursday.
Dodger Stadium did not have any available appointments either, despite what Garcetti said in his Monday afternoon news conference.
"We are able to meet that capacity, including at the largest testing center in the United States, that we know about, at Dodger Stadium," he said.
Holland Van Ackeren was also unable to make an appointment to get a test before he returns to work.
"I'm trying to do my part and be responsible and would love to know whether to not I need to self-quarantine," he said.
When the city was asked about this problem, they directed people to private testing sites like CVS. However, CVS will not let asymptomatic people book a test. Even if people do qualify, many locations have no available appointments.
Brooks tried to get an appointment through her doctor, but would have to wait until Saturday to be seen.
"The only way I was able to get a test for tomorrow morning is because I said I have a fever," Brooks said. "I don't like lying but I need a test."
A county spokesperson said they have added 13 new testing sites this week, but the demand is up and supplies are down temporarily due to the upcoming holiday weekend.
