In response to the surge of COVID-19 cases caused by the Omicron variant, the City of Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services (Health Department) is opening two new testing sites at the Long Beach Civic Center and Long Beach City College, Pacific Coast Campus (PCC) starting Monday, Jan. 31.
“The new Civic Center testing location will provide more accessible testing opportunities for our downtown residents and businesses,” Mayor Robert Garcia said in a statement. “By expanding testing opportunities while continuing to offer vaccines nearly every day, we can defeat the Omicron surge.”
The Civic Center will have walk-up clinics available weekdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The clinics at PCC will offer walk-up COVID-19 testing Tuesdays through Fridays from 9 a.m. to noon.
COVID-19 testing is available for both symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals.
The other testing clinics already offered by the Health Department will continue to operate as usual.
“The Health Department has conducted about 850,000 COVID-19 tests since the start of the pandemic and nearly 10,000 in one day,” said Health Department Director Kelly Colopy in a statement. “We remain committed to making sure everyone who needs a test in Long Beach can get one.”
Starting Monday, Jan. 31, the weekly COVID-19 testing schedule for the new and already existing testing sites will be as follows:
Beginning Jan. 31, the weekly COVID-19 testing schedule will be as follows:
Civic Center (411 W. Ocean Blvd.)
- Mondays through Fridays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- Walk-up only
PCC (Parking Lot 1, corner of Orange Avenue and Pacific Coast Highway)
- Tuesdays through Fridays from 9 a.m. to 12 noon
- Walk-up only
Former Boeing Parking Lot (3590 E. Wardlow Rd.)
- Mondays through Fridays from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2:30 to 5 p.m.
- Saturdays from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- Drive-thru option available for PCR test with an appointment
Doris Topsy-Elvord Community Center at Houghton Park (6301 Myrtle Ave.)
- Mondays through Fridays from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2:30 to 5 p.m.
- Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Long Beach City College, Veterans Stadium (5000 E. Lew Davis St.)
- Mondays through Fridays from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2:30 to 5 p.m. (Note this clinic will close at 5 p.m. beginning Jan. 31 instead of 6 p.m.)
- Drive-thru option available for PCR test with an appointment
Cabrillo High School (2001 Santa Fe Ave.)
- Saturdays and Sundays from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2:30 to 5 p.m.
- Drive-thru option available for PCR test with an appointment
K-12 Student, Faculty and Staff Testing Clinic at Cabrillo High School, in partnership with LBUSD (2001 Santa Fe Ave.)
- Mondays through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
- Available only for Long Beach students up through grade 12, faculty and staff serving these students who are symptomatic or who require a negative test to return to school following a COVID-19 infection or post-quarantine.
Additional testing clinics will be held at the CSULB campus on the following dates:
- Monday, Jan. 31, Feb. 7, Feb. 14, and Feb. 28 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- Wednesday, Feb. 2, Feb. 9, Feb. 16, and Feb. 23 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Those who want to receive a PCR test are encouraged to make an appointment beforehand. To make an appointment, visit longbeach.gov/covid19testing or call 562-570-4636.
Rapid antigen tests are available at Long Beach testing clinics upon request only.
The Health Department is urging every eligible person to get fully vaccinated and boosted.
According to the Health Department, vaccines are safely and effectively able to lower the chances of someone catching COVID-19, and also significantly lower the likelihood of hospitalization, serious illness or death among breakthrough cases of COVID-19.
Between Sept. 1, 2021, through Jan. 24, 2022, 94% of hospitalizations and 97% of COVID-19 related deaths were among unvaccinated people or individuals who aren’t up-to-date with their COVID-19 vaccinations.
On Jan. 28 the first case of the new BA.2 subvariant was detected in Long Beach, and may possibly be more contagious than the original Omicron variant.
To keep up with the latest information on COVID-19 and what the City of Long Beach is doing to keep residents safe, visit longbeach.gov/COVID19 or follow @LongBeachCity and @LBHealthDept on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
People may also visit longbeach.gov/COVID19data for up-to-date information regarding cases and vaccines in Long Beach.
