Need to get rapid tested for COVID-19? There are several ways Los Angeles County residents can receive a free at-home COVID-19 test.

The LA County program is designed to increase and facilitate access to COVID-19 tests for LA County residents unable to obtain appointments.

Residents can pick up a PCR test kit, perform the test and return the completed test to designated sites for processing. Residents will be notified of their test results within 24-48 hours.

Pick-Up Testing Kits will be available without an appointment and until daily supplies are exhausted at designated locations. They will be provided at no cost if residents meet the following criteria: have symptoms of COVID-19 or think they were exposed to COVID-19.  Locations to pick up the test include:

Obregon Park
Memorial Park North Recreation Center
San Gabriel Valley Airport
Wingate Park
MLK Medical Campus
Ted Watkins Park
Helen Keller Park
Poinsettia Recreation Center
Plummer Park
Boys & Girls Club of San Fernando Valley
Clara Street Park
Los Nietos Library
Palmdale Hammack Center
College of the Canyons in Santa Clarita
Rosemead Library
West Hollywood Library
Lennox Library
Lawndale Library
San Fernando Library
Huntington Park Library
Lynwood Library
Pico Rivera Library
Sunkist Library
AC Bilbrew Library

Insurance companies are also now required to reimburse you for 8 tests per month for each individual on the plan up to $12 per individual test.

Your health plan may cover the cost of your test if they have a network of pharmacies or retailers already setup. Alternatively, they may provide you reimbursement for the cost of over-the-counter tests regardless of the price if they have yet to set up a network of pharmacies or retailers.

The best way to find out is to contact your health plan or insurer to determine if they provide direct coverage or if you might need to submit a claim for reimbursement.

Residents can visit covidtests.gov for more information on reimbursements requirements.

A limited supply of COVID-19 PCR home test kits are also available at select county sites. Residents can pick up a test & drop it off at designated locations. These test kits are available for those who have symptoms of COVID-19 or think they may have been exposed to COVID-19. The process is easy:

Pick up the test kit
Register the test kit
Do the swab test
Drop the test off
Wait for results in 24-48 hours.

As you wait to receive your results, please be sure to stay at home, avoid contact with others, and wear an upgraded mask.

The test kit is for immediate use only. You should collect and return your sample within 3-5 days of receiving the test kit.

Additionally, under the Biden administration’s promise, the federal government recently announced that every home in the U.S. is eligible to order four free at-home COVID-19 tests. The tests are completely free and can be now ordered at covidtests.gov. Orders typically ship in 7-12 days.

On Friday, January 28, LA County confirmed 101 additional deaths and 23,796 new cases of COVID-19.

Of the 101 new deaths reported, two of the people who died were between the ages of 18 and 29, seven of the people who died were between the ages of 30 and 49, 16 people were between the ages of 50 and 64, 36 were between the ages of 65-79, and 36 were over the age of 80 years old. Of the 101 newly reported deaths, 83 had underlying conditions. To date, the total number of deaths in L.A. County is 28,816.

Public Health has identified a total 2,610,385 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County. The positivity rate is 11.6%. Testing results are available for more than 11,005,995 individuals, with 21% of people testing positive.

There are 4,192 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized.

To keep workplaces and schools open, residents and workers are asked to:

Adhere to masking requirements when indoors or at crowded outdoor spaces, regardless of vaccination status.
Remain home when sick, isolate if positive and quarantine when in close contact.

Residents are legally required to be isolated if they have a positive COVID test result and are vaccinated.  Close contacts with symptoms and unvaccinated close contacts need to be quarantined. n