COSTA MESA, Calif.—California’s second-largest drive-through COVID-19 testing super site opened on Aug. 26 at the Orange County Fair and Event Center in Costa Mesa.
Tests are available at the site Monday through Friday by appointment only, from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Officials say wait times will generally be no more than 30 minutes, and results will be available in 24 to 48 hours.
Patients are required to put on a mask before arriving at the site.
The tests will be available for those prioritized by the California Department of Public Health, including people with symptoms of the disease, health care workers, and first responders. Essential workers—including food supply employees, utility workers, teachers, and employees of congregate living facilities—will also be prioritized.
There will be no out-of-pocket costs associated with the tests, according to officials.
“If you have health insurance, your health plan is required to pay for approved COVID-19 tests, and if you do not have insurance, the cost will be covered by the Families First Coronavirus Response Act and the CARES [Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security] Act,” Costa Mesa City Manager Dane Bora said in a YouTube video.
Supervisor Doug Chaffee said in a statement that the “tests are just one tool in our arsenal to beat the novel coronavirus, but it’s a powerful tool.”
“We are committed to continuing to offer testing options to our residents that are easy and convenient for all of Orange County’s residents,” Chaffee said.
The new site boosts the county’s testing capabilities at the same time some Orange County children and teachers are returning to school in person.
The county was removed from the state’s COVID-19 watch list on Aug. 23 and must remain off the list for 15 days before all schools are allowed to reopen for in-person learning. Each school district in the county will make its own choice whether to start the process of reopening.
So far, 39 elementary schools in the county have been approved for state waivers to start in-classroom learning, Dr. Clayton Chau, the county’s chief health officer and director of the Orange County Health Care Agency, told the Board of Supervisors on Aug. 25.
However, the county could still return to the state’s watch list if positive test rates do not remain below certain desired thresholds.
Costa Mesa Mayor Katrina Foley said in a statement: “We know that mass testing with prompt results combined with mask wearing and social distancing is necessary for our kids to return to in-person school and our business community to reopen. This Supersite, the second largest in California, opens up another path on our road to recovery.”
To register, residents must provide their contact information and health insurance information, if they have it, and select an appointment date and time. They will then receive a confirmation text or email, which they must bring to their appointment to be tested.
Anyone with questions can call (800) 446-8888 or visit OCHealthInfo.com/covidtest for more locations and information.
