Daily new cases of coronavirus infections after the omicron surge have plummeted quickly in Long Beach, following similar trends seen around the world, including Africa where the variant was first discovered. In response, city officials Friday announced the closure of the large testing site at the former Boeing facility.

Long Beach health officials Friday reported just 195 new infections, a drastic reduction when compared to the more than 1,429 daily average reported throughout January.

On Jan. 10, the city opened a massive testing site at 3590 E. Wardlow Rd. in a former Boeing parking lot. The location was meant to ease long wait times amid huge demand for testing as the omicron variant ran rampant through the city.

The former Boeing site already has administered 35,400 tests and will continue testing until Feb. 26. Testing continues to be available at the following city-run locations:

  • Long Beach City College, Pacific Coast Campus (1305 E. Pacific Coast Highway, Parking Lot 1 at the corner of Orange Avenue and Pacific Coast Highway)
    • Tuesdays through Fridays from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
    • Non-appointment only
    • This clinic is a walk-up only site
  • Long Beach City College, Veterans Stadium (5000 E. Lew Davis St.)
    • Weekdays from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2:30 to 5 p.m.
  • Doris Topsy-Elvord Community Center at Houghton Park (6301 Myrtle Ave.)
    • Weekdays from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2:30 to 5 p.m.
    • Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. to 1 p.m.
  • Cabrillo High School (2001 Santa Fe Ave.)
    • Saturdays and Sundays from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2:30 to 5 p.m.
  • California State University, Long Beach (6049 E. 7th St.)
    • Monday, Feb. 14, and Monday, Feb. 28, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
    • Wednesday, Feb. 16, and Wednesday, Feb. 23, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
    • Please note that rapid tests are not available at this site
    • This clinic is a walk-up only site
  • Civic Center (411 W. Ocean Blvd.)
    • Weekdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
    • This is a walk-up only site

To date, health officials have administered 884,899 coronavirus tests, according to the announcement.

While new cases wane, the death toll in Long Beach continues to rise. City officials reported three new deaths Friday, bringing the total to 1,169 since the start of the pandemic. The city has reported at least one death every day since Jan. 18, totaling 79 in less than a month.

The number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 continues to decrease, Long Beach officials said Friday, with the total down to 188. One month ago, the city reached peak hospitalization amid the omicron wave at 367.

The city’s cumulative seven-day case rate is 312.4 as of Friday, according to health department spokeswoman Jennifer Rice Epstein. The cumulative case rate is the new metric that will determine when the city will remove the indoor mask mandate when it reaches and holds at 50.

The city’s positivity rate saw a sharp decline from 12.4% Thursday to 7.9% Friday due to a change in how the figure is reported. Previously, the city figure was reported with a seven-day lag time, Epstein said. The city will now report a more up-to-date figure, falling in line with county and state reporting practices.

At the county level, meanwhile, officials reported 5,610 new cases and 75 deaths Friday. Hospitalizations continued to fall countywide, with officials reporting 2,307. The county’s positivity rate also continued its downward trend, reaching 4%.

“Given the evidence of waning protection over time from the COVID vaccines, eligible residents and workers should get boosted as soon as possible,” county health Director Barbara Ferrer said in a statement Friday. “As we think about the ‘post-surge’ strategies, increasing the number of people optimally protected from COVID infection helps us decrease the number of people who become seriously ill and die from COVID.”

In Long Beach, 72.4% of eligible residents aged 5 and up are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Nearly 81% of eligible residents have received at least one dose. Boosters continue to lag, with the city officials reporting Friday that only 33.1% of eligible residents aged 5 and up have received it.

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Brandon Richardson is a reporter and photojournalist for the Long Beach Post and Long Beach Business Journal.