LOS ANGELES — The difficulty finding coronavirus test kits in many parts of California and delays in getting results are causing increasing frustration and helping drive the surge of infections.
In just two weeks, the number of people in California hospitalized with COVID more than doubled. Delays in getting results — or inability to find a test kit — can mean people with very mild or no symptoms may presume they are not infected and go about their usual routines.
Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday said about 200 California National Guard members are being deployed to testing sites to boost capacity.
"If you’re feeling sick, don’t hesitate to get tested," Newsom said in a Tweet.
According to a release from the governor's office, "This new action is on top of the existing 6,000 testing sites that have been set up across the state, the recent demand-based expansion of hours at state-operated sites and the 9.6 million tests that the state has distributed to schools since early December."
To get a COVID-19 test and to find a location, click here.
The over 200 Cal Guard members will be deployed ,"across 50 Optum Serve sites around the state, providing interim clinical staff while permanent staff are hired, adding capacity for walk-ins, assisting with crowd control and back-filling for staff absences – all in an effort to conduct more tests for more Californians. Additional members of the Guard will be deployed next week in similar capacities."
