LOS ANGELES (CNS) - Many Los Angeles County COVID-19 testing sites have closed or are keeping limited hours in the wake of protests throughout the county that could pose a safety concern, health officials announced today.

“Los Angeles County is in the midst of fighting an unprecedented pandemic while also facing a state of emergency that impacts public safety. Public health remains a key concern and testing remains a priority as we continue to battle the coronavirus,'' said Dr. Christina Ghaly, director of the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services. “We are continuing to ensure that our testing sites are safe for both patients and staff.''

The following county testing sites have closed out of concerns about civil unrest.

-- AltaMed Medical and Dental Group, 972 Goodrich Blvd., Commerce;

-- AltaMed Medical and Dental Group, 8627 Atlantic Ave., South Gate;

-- AltaMed Medical and Dental Group, Sunset Ave., West Covina; and

-- South Bay Galleria, 1815 Hawthorne Blvd., Redondo Beach.

Other sites remain open with limited hours, including:

-- Charles R. Drew University Campus, 1731 E. 120th St., Los Angeles, which will close early at 2:30 p.m.

Sites closing at 5 p.m. include:

-- California State University, Los Angeles, 5151 State University Drive, Los Angeles;

-- ChapCare Pasadena, 1595 N. Lake Ave., Pasadena;

-- ChapCare Vacco Health Center, 10408 Vacco St., Suite A, South El Monte;

-- Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, 1000 W. Carson St., Bldg. N26., Torrance;

-- Hawthorne Memorial Center, Betty Ainsworth Sports Center, 3851 W. El Segundo Blvd., Hawthorne;

-- Los Angeles County's Crenshaw Area Office, 3606 W. Exposition Blvd., Los Angeles;

-- Santa Monica College, 2800 Airport Ave., Santa Monica; and

-- West Jordan High School, 171 W. Bort St., Long Beach.

All patients registered for appointments are being called or notified by email or a phone call, according to county authorities.

Updated information on closures can be found at https://covid19.lacounty.gov/testing/.

To date, nearly 612,000 of the county's 10 million residents have been tested for the virus, with about 8% of those testing positive.

The city of Los Angeles also is providing free COVID-19 testing to any Los Angeles County residents, whether or not they may be experiencing symptoms.

Priority for same or next-day testing is still given to people with symptoms, such as fever, cough, shortness of breath, chills, muscle pain, headaches, sore throat, or a new loss of sense of smell. Testing also is prioritized for critical front-line workers.

Testing is by appointment only through the city's website or by contacting a medical practitioner.

Most city testing sites were closed due to concerns about civil unrest, but the Dodger Stadium site at 1001 Scott Ave. in Elysian Park and the Kedren Community Health Center at 3800 S. Figueroa St. remain open. City health officials said they hope to reopen the other test sites as soon as Wednesday.

In San Gabriel, the Herald Christian Health Center is launching a free COVID-19 testing location for anyone with COVID-19 symptoms and all asymptomatic essential workers. Those who are eligible include healthcare workers, social workers, grocery store workers, restaurant workers, food service employees, seniors aged 65 and up, and patients with chronic diseases.

Public health officials have continued to instruct people, including protesters, to wear face masks and maintain a six-foot distance from others to protect against the spread of the virus.

Photo: Getty Images

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