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New COVID Testing Site At LAX Opened Due To Omicron Variant Concern

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) - Concerns over the new COVID-19 variant, Omicron, and an increase in travel for the holidays prompted the Los Angeles County Public Health Department to open a new COVID test site at the Los Angeles International Airport Friday.

Free rapid tests are now available for passengers arriving on international flights. These tests are available 7 days a week from 11 am to 6 pm. Results come in about 15 minutes.

Passengers coming from Singapore were among the first to use the new site.

"I think it's a very good measure and that's why I did it immediately," said Artidoro Leal, an international traveler. "When you get a negative test, you know that you're not going to infect anybody and you're not infected."

LA County Public Health Director, Dr. Barbara Ferrer, was at the site's opening, encouraging passengers to get tested.

If a test comes back positive, the passenger will get a second test to confirm infection from a laboratory.

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