Officials have announced that Los Angeles, California will become the first major U.S. city to offer free coronavirus testing to residents regardless of whether they are showing symptoms.
The expanded testing was announced by Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti during a Wednesday press conference. Tests were previously available for people experiencing symptoms or for those in essential high-risk occupations, like health care workers.
“Los Angeles will become the first major city in America to offer widescale testing to all of its residents, with or without symptoms,” Garcetti said. “Those with symptoms will of course have the priority… these tests are free for the public, no cost at all to you.”
“But you can’t a price on the peace of mind of knowing that you can’t infect somebody around you,” he added.
In addition to those residing in the city, the tests will be available for all residents in the county of Los Angeles, the most populated and one of largest counties in the nation with around 10 million residents in an area that encompasses over 4,000 square miles.
Over 22,000 people in Los Angeles county had tested positive for the virus as of April 29, including over 1,000 deaths. Expanded testing could be a key factor in successfully reducing the risk of a new spike in cases when the economy begins to reopen.
“Along with handwashing and disinfecting, covering our faces and social distancing, testing is one of the best tools we have to stop the spread of this virus,” said Garcetti.
Bolinas, a small coastal community in Northern California, became the first to test all residents earlier this month as part of a study by researchers at the University of California, San Francisco. Surprisingly, none of the 1,800 residents tested positive for the virus, although some results could be false negatives. The town adhered to strict shelter-in-place orders and has prohibited outside visitors during the pandemic.
Testing is available in Los Angeles county by appointment only. Garcetti’s Twitter account shared a link for residents to schedule tests online on Wednesday.
Announcing that L.A. is now the first major city in America to offer free COVID-19 testing to all residents. While priority will still be given to those with symptoms, individuals without symptoms can also be tested. Sign up at https://t.co/rHWABmXUEl. pic.twitter.com/TYqo6Bzwxe
— MayorOfLA (@MayorOfLA) April 30, 2020
The mayor said that the expanded testing was necessary because many of those who have contracted the virus may not know that they are infected due to lack of symptoms.
“We know the coronavirus is a silent killer that moves quietly through the population and many of the people who have the disease don’t know that they have it,” Garcetti said. “This illustrates why making testing available to anyone who wants it is essential.”
Newsweek reached out to Garcetti’s office for additional comment but did not receive a response in time for publication.
