COVID-19 testing appointments no longer required at city of LA-run sites, Garcetti says

LOS ANGELES (KABC) – Appointments to get tested for the coronavirus will no longer be necessary at sites run by the city of Los Angeles from next week, Mayor Eric Garcetti announced Thursday.

The mayor added that people can still register in advance, but it will not be necessary to make an appointment.

“Just show up during normal operation Monday through Saturday 8 am to 3 pm and you will get your test,” Garcetti said. “In the future, you can save your information while you wait in line, just bring your insurance information or ID if you don’t have insurance.”

The announcement was made during a briefing on the city’s response to the pandemic.

RELATED: Over 12,000 Los Angeles Vaccine Appointments Delayed Due to Weather

Garcetti says the city has performed more COVID-19 tests than there are residents in the city, with more than 4 million tests done so far.

He also announced that the city is launching a new initiative called Mobile Outreach for Vaccine Equity, or MOVE, to scale up mobile vaccinations in vulnerable areas of Los Angeles. It will put 10 mobile vaccination teams on the ground by the end of the year. next month and deploy them to high risk areas.

Earlier Thursday, Garcetti announced that more than 12,000 Los Angeles vaccination appointments scheduled for Friday will be postponed due to weather-related shipping delays as winter storms hit other parts of the country.

The city said the delays affected only the super sites, while vaccinations for the city’s mobile clinics would continue as scheduled.

City News Service contributed to this report.