The city of El Monte opened up a COVID-19 testing facility on Wednesday Apr.15 located at the San Gabriel Valley Airport. Anyone can schedule an appointment online and testing is free. The county of Los Angeles, the city of El Monte and El Monte Community Hospital have all partnered up in order to get the site up and running. The testing site is available not only to the city of El Monte, but to surrounding communities as well. They will be providing drive-by testing to ensure that there is no close contact. Testing will be open Monday through Friday from 9 am to 5 pm. The facility currently has the capacity to test 350 individuals.

COVID-19 Testing Process and Procedures

Andre Quintero, Mayor of El Monte, spoke at the press conference Wednesday morning along with many other representatives. Quintero expressed the communities concerns regarding essential workers being exposed to the virus. “If they start feeling symptoms we want to make sure that they get tested right away and that the appropriate treatment gets put in place.”

There are currently several testing facilities set up in the San Gabriel region including the Pomona Fairplex location. More testing Facilities will be opening up in Monterey Park, Montebello, Commerce, Downtown LA, South Gate and many other locations. Testing takes about five to ten minutes. Test site personnel will walk individuals through the process. Test results take about three to five days and will be delivered through email. It’s important to self-isolate until test results are received.

Self-Isolating to Prevent Spread

Los Angeles County Supervisor, Hilda Solis, emphasizes that the virus is still prevalent and will not be going away any time soon. She urges citizens to always use their masks when going out in any gathering. Residents should only go out if it is essential. It’s important that everyone abides by the 6 feet apart guideline issued by the governor. The CDC recommends that people wash their hands before and after going out. These guidelines are “the new norm” and must be enforced in order to keep the virus contained. “If you’re around individuals that have COVID-19, you should self-isolate and stay away from contaminating or impacting other family members or people that you work with. It’s a very critical time for us right now.”

We’re All in This Together

Alma Martinez, City Manager, wants residents to remain hopeful. “I want to remind [everyone] that we shall get through this. This too shall pass. We will come out stronger, resilient and united.” The city of El Monte is working on other projects to support the community. They are working with a non-profit organization to provide hot meals and groceries for eligible families in the Mountain View area. Individuals can check other locations along with other vital services on the city’s website.

Visit elmonteca.gov or monte.campaignrep.org for more information.