County Expands COVID-19 Testing at Rose Bowl

photo by James Carbone

Any Los Angeles County resident with symptoms of the Coronavirus can now schedule a test at the Rose Bowl, according to Pasadena Public Information Officer Lisa Derderian.

“We’ve just learned that any resident of Los Angeles County with symptoms of COVID-19 can schedule a test at one of 21 drive-thru testing sites, including at the Rose Bowl,” Derderian said. “Tests are no longer limited to the highest-risk populations, but priority for same day or next day tests will still be given to symptomatic individuals with underlying health challenges, people over 65 years old, health care professionals, and first responders.”

Those regulations apply to the 21 testing centers in LA County.

The test consists of nasal swab which will be administered by hospital or fire department staff, or a self-administered oral swab. Patients must swab their own mouths/throats using instructions provided to them at the site. The testing process takes between five and 10 minutes but waiting times may vary.

Previously tests were limited to patients 65 or older, with an underlying chronic health condition, or more than seven days left in a mandatory 14-day quarantine period.

According to LA County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer, as of Thursday, about 40,000 people have been tested for coronavirus in the county, with about 15 percent of them testing positive.

County officials are still working to get full reports on negative test results from some labs, meaning that percentage of positive tests remains artificially high.

Ferrer stressed the people who are tested because they are showing symptoms of coronavirus should assume they are positive and isolate themselves from others while awaiting their results. She also reminded parents that while residents are being urged to leave home only for essential purposes, their children’s health-care appointments are definitely essential, including immunizations

The county has set a goal of testing 10,000 people per day. About 10 percent of those people are expected to test positive for the virus.

Ferrer has warned that the daily increases in case numbers will likely approach about 1,000. New testing centers opened last week at East Los Angeles College and at the Charles Drew University medical campus in Willowbrook.

To sign up visit, COVID19.LACounty.Gov