Test site operated by State of California, OptumServe and Santa Monica College open at Airports Arts Campus
By Sam Catanzaro
The first novel coronavirus (COVID-19) testing site has come to Santa Monica.
Effective Thursday, May 7, the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services (DHS) has opened a walk-up COVID-19 testing location at Santa Monica College (SMC).
The operation–a joint effort by Santa Monica College, the State of California and OptumServe and DHS–is walk-up and by appointment only. Located at the SMC Airport Arts Campus (2800 Airport Avenue), testing is available to anyone for free as part of Governor Newsom’s expanded testing capacity.
Testing is open five days a week, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., by appointment only and no drop-in appointments will be taken. Appointments are available for the following day only. Sign up at covid19.lacounty.gov/testing. L.A. County residents without digital access can call (888) 634-1123, where operators can assist with registration and schedule an appointment. The testing site at SMC’s Airport Arts Campus can accommodate pedestrians with appointments, and parking is available for those who arrive in a car.
“Access to testing is an indicator in the safe re-opening of our economy and civic life,” said Interim City Manager and Director of Emergency Services Lane Dilg. “We appreciate the Governor and Los Angeles County’s ongoing efforts to take bold and aggressive steps to protect the public health. We encourage Santa Monicans to take advantage of this new resource close to home.”
According to the City of Santa Monica, the following factors do not affect eligibility: immigration status, insurance status, age or underlying health issues.
The testing is administered and managed by the private lab OptumServe. Appointments are scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis, according to the City.
Test results may take up to 2-3 days. Individuals with positive test results will be notified by a phone call. Negative test results will be accessed by logging into a secure website.
