Due to increased cases of COVID-19, Long Beach Health Department officials yesterday announced an expanded drive-thru and walk-up testing site for residents to open Monday, Jan. 10.
With the capacity to test 3,000 people a day, the public testing clinic will be located in the former Boeing parking lot, near 3590 E. Wardlow Road. The Boeing site will be open from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2:30 to 5 p.m. weekdays, effective Jan. 10.
Additional city testing sites are at Veterans Stadium, Doris Topsy-Elvord Community Center, Cabrillo High School and California State University, Long Beach.
Officials also announced the opening of a new testing clinic dedicated to Long Beach Unified School District students, faculty and staff. The new clinic set to open Monday at Cabrillo High School (2001 Santa Fe Ave.) can serve 5,000 people per week and will be restricted to LBUSD employees and students who are symptomatic or who need a clear test to return to school following a COVID-19 infection or post-quarantine, city officials said.
Asymptomatic testing, including the testing of student athletes, will not be available at the site, and tests will not be provided to parents or guardians of students. The clinic will be available weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with a break for lunch from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m.
Both antigen rapid tests and PCR tests will be available. Appointments are not required.
LBUSD Superintendent Jill A. Baker said the top priority is keeping schools open for the district’s 70,000 learners.
“The positive impact that in-person learning has on our students cannot be overstated,” Baker said. “The best way to keep our schools open is to ensure students and staff have access to vaccines and testing. We are extremely thankful for our ongoing partnerships with the city of Long Beach and the Long Beach Health Department to make vaccines and testing widely available for our students, staff and greater LBUSD community.”
The previous public testing site at Long Beach City College’s Pacific Coast Campus will transition Monday to offer vaccines only, no testing. To date, the Health Department has administered 741,114 COVID-19 tests, free of charge, in Long Beach.
Since the most recent surge, which began in late December, the city has regularly administered 5,000 or more tests per day. On Jan. 5, the city administered 7,382 tests, which is the highest recorded since the start of the pandemic.
Health Department officials said people should get tested if any symptoms are present or if they have been in close contact with someone who has or is suspected to have the virus, regardless of vaccination status.
Testing appointments can be made at longbeach.gov/covid19testing or by calling 562-570-4636. For other sites across Los Angeles County, visit https://covid19.lacounty.gov/testing/.
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