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Union Station COVID-19 Testing Site Back Open After Being Closed For Film Shoot

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) – The city of Los Angeles reversed a decision to close a coronavirus testing site at Union Station Tuesday because of a film shoot.

Union Station testing
A coronavirus testing site at Union Station in downtown Los Angeles. Dec. 1, 2020. (CBSLA)

L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti tweeted that the Union Station testing site would in fact be open Tuesday, this after the site was abruptly closed Monday night. His office characterized the situation as a miscommunication.

"My team has worked to reopen testing at Union Station on Tuesday," Garcetti tweeted early Tuesday morning. "The 504 Angelenos who were scheduled for a test there can visit the kiosk as originally planned or any of the other 14 city sites, where we offer 38K tests daily."

The entertainment outlet Deadline reported that the testing site was initially closed for the filming of the 1999 remake of the romantic comedy "She's All That," titled "He's All That."

FilmLA, the nonprofit group serves as the official film office for both the city and county of L.A., said the shoot involves a crew size of about 170 people.

"Prior to this issue being brought to our attention, neither FilmLA nor the locations team for the production company had prior knowledge of a COVID-19 testing center operating on-site," FilmLA said in a statement Monday night.

Film production Union Station
A film production crew at Union Station in downtown Los Angeles. Dec. 1, 2020. (CBSLA)

L.A. Deputy Mayor Jeff Gorell told CBSLA Tuesday that it was Curative, the company which manages the testing site, which had decided to close it.

"Unfortunately, the city was not a participant with the initial decision making, there was an agency that issued a film permit on behalf of the city, and then the vendor made the decision to not test today," Gorell said.

Gorell added that there is enough room for both testing and filming to take place at Union Station.

FilmLA said it did not know who made the decision to close the Curative testing center to appointments, but stated that it was not a decision sought by the production company.

Free COVID-19 walk-up testing is offered daily from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at a kiosk on the Union Station south patio. No appointment is required, but to register for a test, click here.

One woman who was getting a test told CBSLA the Union Station walk-up site is convenient because it doesn't see some of the long lines of drive-up sites.

"I've had an experience of being stuck in the car for three hours, so if I can just walk somewhere, it's just a lot more convenient for me," Michell Cao said.

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