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Tom Kulinski is far too humble a man to see himself as a hero. He just loves his job – a job that’s never been quite as important as it is during this time of crisis.

As a maintenance supervisor for National Community Renaissance (National CORE), Kulinski is a key member of the National CORE team helping to meet the housing needs of thousands of senior citizens, working families and individuals with special needs. For many of them, the world has never been a scarier place than during the current COVID-19 pandemic.

It is times like these when heroes step up in a big way. Especially, it seems, even reluctant heroes like Kulinski, who throughout this crisis has been a lifeline for the communities and residents whose buildings and living units he helps maintain. Whether it’s loading up his truck and delivering food to seniors on a Saturday or dropping off activity books for hundreds of children isolated at home, or simply being a friend to a resident who is frightened and alone, Kulinski works tirelessly to provide comfort to those who need him.

“It is that human connection and the ability to provide stability and security. I tell my kids, not everyone comes home to food on the table. Not everyone comes home to a home,” he says. “We serve so many residents, and whatever I can do to help, I’ll do it – knowing that I’m making a difference.”

Kulinski, 46, has worked at National CORE pretty much all of his adult life. He started as a security guard more than 26 years ago, but was quickly able to put his handyman skills to good use as a resident service technician (RST). 

“National CORE was my third job, and once I found it, I was here to stay,” he says.

Working for a nonprofit organization, and to do so for as many years as Kulinski has, requires a special kind of world view and commitment to mission – in the case of National CORE and the Hope through Housing Foundation, to transform lives and communities through affordable housing and life-enhancing social services.

“National CORE and Hope through Housing have always done amazing things for residents. Helping senior citizens. Helping kids. When this epidemic hit, we knew we had to do even more,” Kulinski said.

One recent Saturday morning, he got a phone call that a shipment of free food was available and needed to be picked up that day. Kulinski got in his truck, picked up the food and delivered it to residents. For many of the seniors, seeing his friendly face at the door – albeit at the appropriate six feet of social distancing – was more important than the food itself.

“A lot of seniors don’t have families nearby, and they’re looking for someone to talk to,” Kulinski said.

They’re also eager to share the generosity shown them – turning down extra food, such as bread, in order to give it to someone else.

Kulinski’s compassion and ability to connect with the residents he services is part of who he is. The father of four is happy to serve as a male role model to a young resident in need, and to make sure the seniors and families he has come to know as family can call on him at any time.

Heroes, it seems, don’t work on the clock.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA—- The Westside Story Newspaper has been featured and selected by the Feedspot panelist as one of the Top 3 San Bernardino News Websites on the web.  

According to Feedspot, this is one of the most comprehensive lists on the internet and we are honored to be a part of it.

Check out the list below:

https://blog.feedspot.com/san_bernardino_news_websites/

POMONA, CA— Congresswoman Norma J. Torres (CA-35) recently announced more than $184.5 million in Department of Education funding that will benefit residents of California’s 35^th Congressional District as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. This includes more than $43.5 million going to institutions of higher learning within the district, and more than $140 million for the surrounding region that will benefit constituents who attend commuting schools.

Each institution is allowed to keep a portion of the money it receives to help cover financial losses suffered in the economic downturn, but at least half of all funds must be distributed to students in the form of emergency cash grants to help students pay for housing, food, and other basic essentials.

Rep. Torres is a leading voice in addressing student hunger and homelessness. In November 2019, she introduced the Basic Assistance for Students in College (BASIC) Act, which would provide $500 million in grants to ensure institutions of higher learning have the resources they need to support students’ day-to-day needs, and direct the federal government to streamline data sharing across agencies to help students who qualify for aid access it.

Rep. Torres released the following statement:

“The funding I’m announcing today will help Inland Empire students keep a roof over their head and food on the table throughout the economic downturn – it will also ensure they have a school to return to when the pandemic is over,” Rep. Torres said. “This is urgently needed relief for our young people, and stabilizing support for our region as a whole. As Congress continues to negotiate the next round of COVID-19 emergency relief, Inland Empire residents can rest assured that my singular focus is to bring as many of these vital dollars to our community as possible.”

Funding distribution within California’s 35^th Congressional District:

School	Total Allocation	Minimum Allocation to be Awarded for Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students
California State Polytechnic University, Pomona	$30,904,089	$15,452,045
Pomona Adult School	$245,993	$122,997
Chaffey Community College	$11,446,484	$5,723,242
Western University Of Health Sciences	$1,105,699	$552,850
Total:	$43,702,265	$21,851,134

Funding distribution in surrounding region:

School	Total Allocation	Minimum Allocation to be Awarded for Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students
Mount San Antonio College	$17,457,959	$8,728,980
San Bernardino Valley College	$6,732,563	$3,366,282
California State University, San Bernardino	$26,243,781	$13,121,891
University Of La Verne	$5,658,977	$2,829,489
University Of California, Riverside	$29,734,626	$14,867,313
Fullerton College	$9,700,734	$4,850,367
California State University, Fullerton	$41,021,512	$20,510,756
Harvey Mudd College	$516,332	$258,166
Pomona College	$1,285,644	$642,822
Claremont Graduate University	$295,107	$147,554
Claremont Mckenna College	$855,579	$427,790
Pitzer College	$625,861	$312,931
Scripps College	$546,083	$273,042
Keck Graduate Institute Of Applied Life Sciences	$189,117	$94,559
Total:	$140,863,875	$70,431,942

Approximately 493,833 vote-by-mail ballots will be mailed to voters starting today, April 13, for the special general election in the 28th Senate District on May 12. To be counted, completed ballots must be received at the Registrar of Voters office no later than 8 p.m. on Election Day, or be postmarked on or before Election Day and received no later than three days after Election Day.

Vote-by-mail ballots can be returned through the postal service or deposited in vote-by-mail drop-off boxes located at the Blythe City Clerk’s office or the Registrar of Voters office.

Early voting at the Registrar of Voters office begins today, April 13 and continues Monday through Friday (excluding county holidays), from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and on Election Day from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.  Please call (951) 486-7200 if you need to schedule an appointment to vote in person.

The May 12 election encompasses only the 28th Senate District and is not a countywide election.  It is also an all-mail ballot election, so there will be no established polling places. If you have any questions about your eligibility to vote, please contact the registrar’s office at (951) 486-7200.

EMS reports on the race to the August 14 finish line

Less than a month after the first invitations to participate in the 2020 census were mailed out, 44.8% of California’s known households have completed the questionnaire, putting the Golden State just slightly behind the country’s 45.1% rate. This despite the fact that California has 11 million people considered “hard to count” — the most of any state.

California budgeted $187.3 million for census outreach efforts to get everyone counted. It’s ahead of New York, which also dedicated tens of millions to outreach efforts. Texas, by comparison, made no statewide expenditures.

With counting set to continue into August, California at 41.8% ranks 20^th in how many households have filed by Internet. The national rate (2020census.gov/en/response-rates.html#) for Internet responses  — the Census Bureau’s preferred response methodology — currently is 39.9%.

But the San Francisco Bay Area leads the way in California’s overall response. Santa Clara, San Mateo, Alameda and Contra Costa counties all have responded above 50% so far. In 2010, those four counties all outdid the state’s 68.2%overall response rate.

San Francisco, both a county and a city, has a 41.9% response rate that’s slightly higher than the city of Fresno’s 41.5% and tops Los Angeles’ 34.4%, but trails Sacramento (45.7%), San Diego (48.8%) and San Jose (51.1%).

Nationwide, most major urban areas are responding below their states’ rates. New York City comes in at 33.9% in a state reporting at 38.3%. Houston’s 37.1% trails Texas’ 39%, Chicago’s 38.6% trails Illinois’ 48.5%, Atlanta’s 39.6% trails Georgia’s 41.5%, and St. Louis, at 36.8%, similarly trails Missouri’s 43.6%.

Major cities also typically are more challenging to enumerate. In California, that’s holding true for San Francisco and Los Angeles, but besides San Diego and San Jose , Oakland and Berkeley, too, both at 49.2% are also doing better than the state as a whole.

East Palo Alto is out-reporting Beverly Hills, 36.35% to 34.2%, but neither is as strong as San Bernardino, 40.3% or Riverside, 45.5%. All four cities hit above 60% in 2010.

As in 2010, California’s lowest response rates are coming from the counties along the Nevada border. In Sierra County, just west of Reno, only 4.9% have responded so far. In 2010, when only 44.1% of that county’s households responded, it ranked as the state’s second-most underpopulated county. Alpine County had the state’s lowest record 10 years ago, with just a 20.2% response rate. So far this year, it’s at 9.8%.

Trinity, another trouble spot, shows 5% responding, nearly all using the Internet. In Lake County, it’s the reverse — a 27.2% response rate with only 18.5% using the Internet. Within

Mendocino’s 31.7% response rate, 25.7% is by Internet.

The Central Valley is another story. In 2010, every county from Sacramento to Riverside reported at rates of at least 63%. So far in 2020, Madera County’s 36.8% is bringing up the rear. Kern County is at 39.3%, King’s at 39.4%, Tulare’s at 39.5%, Merced’s at 39.8%, and San Bernardino, Fresno and Riverside are at 40.4%, 41.6% and 42.2% respectively. Sacramento County is at 48.7%.

But some counties are much more populous than others. Even if Riverside County, the fourth-most populous in the state, ultimately reports at 80%, the number of people still not counted will exceed the entire population of Alpine County to the north.

When it comes to the census’ first-ever use of the Internet as a way to be counted, the Central Valley has so far trended more toward using mail and telephone methods than have other regions of the state. The Internet is still the primary way people respond, but in Sacramento County, 2.1% of households have used other ways. In Riverside and San Bernardino counties, it’s 4.1% and 4.7%, respectively, and 8% or more in Fresno, Kern and Merced counties and 10.7% in Tulare.

The census is not yet reporting on response rates based on ethnicity, but Indian Country, with 100 state-recognized reservations or rancherias in California alone, shows there is much to be done — rates are neither strong nor consistent.

The Table Bluff Rancheria boasts a 31.5% response rate, after totaling 38.2% in 2010, and Trinidad Rancheria, at 17.4%, has almost matched its 2010 tally of 19%. But the Tule River

Reservation’s 9.4% response, all Internet, is far below its 48.6% in 2010.

Hoopa Valley is at 3.1%, also all Internet, but the Census Bureau doesn’t report numbers for 2010. Hopland Reservation, at 25.3%, 8.9% via the Internet, hit 37.5% in 2010. Pala’s 3.6% is all Internet, with no data available for 2010.

If yours is a household not yet counted, you can change that by going to: my2020Census.gov or calling (844) 330-2020. Starting in May and continuing through Aug. 14, the Census Bureau will send out enumerators to knock on the doors of households that haven’t responded. The enumerators will visit to get the data that determines, among other things, political representation and up to $1.5 trillion in annual federal spending for more than 300 programs.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA—  The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) continues improvements on the southbound off-ramp at Soquel Canyon Parkway on State Route 71 (SR-71) in Chino Hills. Caltrans is widening the Soquel Canyon Parkway off-ramp and adding a right turn lane. 

 Crews will continue asphalt concrete paving operations and landscape work. 

A full closure of the southbound SR-71 Soquel Canyon Parkway exit will be in place from April 13 through April 17 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. daily. Please follow the posted alternate route. 

Remember to reduce your speed in the work zone. Be advised, weather conditions may affect this operation. 

Know before you go! To stay on top of roadwork in the Inland Empire go to Caltrans District 8 and sign up for commuter alerts. Follow us for the latest information on Facebook and Twitter. To assist in planning your commute, view live traffic conditions using QuickMap and planned lane closures. 

For those with sensory disabilities requiring alternate formats (i.e. Braille, large print, sign language interpreter, etc.) and those needing information in a language other than English, please contact Kimberly Cherry at 909-383-6290 or TTY 711 by April 15, 2020. 

SAN BERNARDINO, CA— The County’s efforts to protect the community from the spread of novel coronavirus by temporarily sheltering the homeless population are underway with the arrival of 20 state-funded trailers at Glen Helen Regional Park in Devore and the placement of 26 people in a hotel in San Bernardino.

Agreements are in the works with lodging facilities in other cities within the county to house additional homeless individuals and families. The county is exploring other options as well to ensure homeless people who are elderly and who have underlying health conditions, as well as those who are or are suspected of being COVID-19-postive, are sheltered during the crisis.

“This sheltering effort is critical for not only protecting the health of homeless individuals or families but also for protecting the entire community from the spread of the novel coronavirus,” said Board of Supervisors Chairman Curt Hagman. “That is why we are working closely with city and community leaders throughout our county to get these sites up and running. The county is leading the fight against COVID-19, but protecting our communities from this pandemic has to be a team effort involving all of our cities and residents.”

There are more than 2,000 unsheltered homeless individuals living in San Bernardino County. There are approximately 300 homeless identified as extremely high risk by medical doctors due to their age and serious health conditions.

The County’s goal is to secure at least 300 units throughout the county in multiple communities as quickly as possible to contain the spread of COVID-19 in the unsheltered community and the entire county population. Staff from the County Department of Behavioral Health and organizations that serve the homeless will make phone contact with each homeless individual daily. The county will provide security at each site 24 hours per day, seven days a week. The County, Inland Empire Health Plan, and Molina Healthcare will provide meal packages to all persons in placement.

“The County is maximizing our collective effort to fight this health crisis head-on, which demands the necessary and expedient action of sheltering the homeless in place to reduce the spread of the virus and protect everyone’s safety,” said Board of Supervisors Vice Chair Josie Gonzales.

“We must value the efforts and sacrifices of those who are sheltering at home, by using every means possible to ensure everyone is sheltered in place in order to abate the fast spread of COVID-19,” added Supervisor Gonzales, who is also founder and chair of the San Bernardino County lnteragency Council on Homelessness.

In response to Governor Newsom’s Executive Order to protect public safety and the spread of COVID-19 among the state’s most vulnerable populations, San Bernardino County will receive a portion of $800 million in emergency funding to quickly implement creative temporary housing solutions to address the complex

public health challenge of protecting vulnerable homeless individuals and communities against exposure to COVID-19.

The Executive Order requires counties to protect public safety and reduce the spread of COVID-19 by providing vulnerable homeless people access to temporary housing, as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). San Bernardino County partnered with federal, state, and local agencies to create a plan to provide extensive supportive services to homeless individuals during their 14-day stay.

“Although COVID-19 has forced everyone in our community to make difficult decisions, it has also provided us with an unprecedented opportunity to support people experiencing homelessness,” said San Bernardino County Chief Executive Officer Gary McBride. “Homeless individuals, who once declined the offer for immediate supportive housing, now, like the rest of us, desire protection against COVID-19 in the safety and comfort of a shelter’s four walls. Our hope is that through this crisis, some homeless individuals will recognize the county and the community’s commitment to end homelessness and seek extended services which lead to permanent housing, employment, wellness, and resiliency.”

Homeless individuals over the age of 65 and persons of any age who have underlying health conditions or are immunocompromised, will receive priority housing, followed by pregnant homeless women, and homeless people meeting this criteria who are exposed to the virus and require isolation, but are non-symptomatic.

Homeless people who meet the criteria are contacted by County staff including the Sheriff’s Homeless Outreach and Proactive Enforcement team and Behavioral Health’s Homeless Outreach Support team. Homeless people requiring extensive healthcare services or hospitalization are directed to medical facilities, while others are offered the temporary housing on a voluntary, but conditional basis. Individuals who decline are reminded of social distancing requirements and provided referrals to other resources and services.

Homeless people who desire temporary housing sign an admission agreement, which includes a pledge for no visitors, abstinence from alcohol and substance use, vacating upon the ending of the 14-day stay period or rescinding of the Governor’s Executive Order, and participating in regular meetings with a case manager to develop a plan for immediate and subsequent housing needs. In addition to shelter, food, physical and behavioral health care, laundry facilities, and other resources are provided.

Temporary housing locations approved by the State of California include hotels, motels, trailers, shelters and other areas that allow the ability to practice social distancing and handwashing. Various San Bernardino County agencies, homeless service providers, business owners, cities, and communities are working in collaboration to determine which locations best allow for access to needed services while meeting strict CDC requirements for public safety.

Part of this solution are the 20 trailers that arrived at Glen Helen Regional Park. Each trailer can house one person or a family of two. Occupants will sign agreements requiring them to remain on the park grounds for the duration of the emergency.

For information about the coronavirus crisis, visit the County’s coronavirus website at sbcovidl 9.com. New information and resources are updated daily. The public can also contact the coronavirus public information line from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday at (909) 387-3911, or email the County at coronavirus@dph.sbcounty.gov.

“It’s been like tons, or gallons of alcohol being thrown on the open wounds of inequality and racism in this country. And as we think about how to recover, we’re going to have to think about how to make sure that we don’t go back to where we were before,” said Angela Glover Blackwell, an African-American author and policy specialist based in Oakland.

Blackwell is the founder and president of the non-profit PolicyLink, a research institute and social action organization that advances racial and economic equity, according to the group’s website.

“It was unacceptable then and it will be unacceptable going forward,” Blackwell continued, pointing out the “painful” economic and health disparities the COVID-19 pandemic has laid bare across the United States and here in California.

She was speaking Friday during Gov. Gavin Newsom’s daily COVID-19 press conference in Sacramento. During the briefing, the governor announced that he has appointed Blackwell and 79 other prominent Californians to the state Task Force on Business and Jobs Recovery.

The governor said he is charging the diverse group of social, political and economic leaders to analyze every sector of the state economy and put together a road map to economic recovery. Newsom says he expects the task force to come up with “short-term, medium-term and long-term ideas” to put California on track to once again attain the level of economic prosperity the state had reached before the pandemic: 21 consecutive months of job growth; a $20 billion budget surplus in 2019; and 20 billion more stacked away in the state reserves.

“I have asked and tasked some of the best and brightest minds that we could source —  a disproportionate number, almost exclusively, reside right here in the state of California – some of the most well-known business leaders in the world. The great social justice lawyers reside here in the state of California. Tribal leaders. Health care leaders. Small business leaders.”

Tom Steyer, the billionaire businessman, civic leader, and former US presidential candidate will co-chair the task force along with Gov. Newsom’s Chief of Staff Ann O’Leary.

Other African-American task force members include Gregory A. Adams, Chairman and CEO, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc., and hospitals; Willie Adams, President, International Longshore and Warehouse Union; E. Toby Boyd: President, California Teachers Association; Stacy Brown-Philpot: CEO, TaskRabbit; Dr. Robert Ross: President and CEO, The California Endowment; among others. See the full list of members.

The impact of the global Coronavirus pandemic in California has been deep and far-reaching, hitting the finances, health, and way of life of people across class, race, and geographical lines, but especially so among African Americans and other people of color.

At press time,  the coronavirus had claimed the lives of more than one thousand Californians, and more than 28,000 more across the state had been infected by the deadly virus – with the largest concentration, more than 11,000 people, diagnosed in Los Angeles County alone.

Based on racial data the state has collected so far on mortality rates,  a disproportionate number of Black Californians have died from COVID-19: About 12 percent in a state where African Americans account for 6 percent of the total population of nearly 40 million people.

About 95 people died of COVID-19 Thursday, the deadliest day since the onset of the pandemic, and a day before the governor announced his economic recovery task force appointments.

Last week, the governor also announced that the state is officially in a “pandemic-induced recession.”

“This pandemic has forced millions of Californians out of jobs – with the most vulnerable hit the hardest,” he said. “We will use a gradual, science-based and data-driven framework to guide our re-opening timing while planning our economic recovery.”

More than 3.1 million Californians have filed for unemployment insurance since March 12, and the state unemployment rate has spiked to 5.3% from under 3% just two months ago. Before the onset of the pandemic, about 2,500 people applied weekly, on average, for unemployment insurance. Over the last few weeks, that weekly average has jumped to more than 200,000. 

“This is an amazing moment despite all the suffering,” Blackwell said. “The silver lining could be to finally understand that we cannot go forward as a nation divided as we have been between haves and have nots.”

Other members the governor appointed to the task force are California Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Los Angeles), Senate Minority Leader Shannon Grove (R-Bakersfield), Assembly Minority Leader Marie Waldron (R-Escondido), former Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen, Walt Disney Company Executive Chairman Bob Iger, former head of the Small Business Administration Aida Álvarez and dozens of other Californians from sectors, including business, labor, health care, academia and philanthropy.

Gov. Newsom also appointed the state’s four living former governors as honorary members on the task force. They are Hon. Jerry Brown, Hon. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Hon. Gray Davis and Hon. Pete Wilson.

“We need to demonstrate for the nation that it is possible to have a recovery that is transformative, imaginative and radical,” Blackwell emphasized.

This week, Marijuana enthusiasts across the state of California — and around the world are — observing 4/20/2020.

But, this year, the famous pot smoking celebration in California, where the weed industry has been struggling to take off, has taken another twist. Like every other activity and public function, it will be happening, if it does at all, privately, away from public spaces, as the global COVID-19 pandemic that has now killed more than 1,000 Californians continues to rage.

San Francisco Mayor London Breed  issued a statement urging people to continue practicing social distancing on 4/20.

“I want to be clear with people who come to San Francisco on 4/20 to Robin Williams Meadow to celebrate 4/20, do not come to San Francisco,” warned Breed, the city’s first Black woman mayor. She was elected in 2018.

“We will not allow this unsanctioned event to occur this year especially in the height of a pandemic,” she added.

The unofficial “holiday” honoring the consumption of cannabis has become almost synonymous with California. Five high school students first coined the term “4:20” in 1971 at San Rafael High School in Marin County near San Francisco. Hippie Hill, the largest annual public pot smoking celebration in the world is held in San Francisco every year. Several more large festivals rivaling the Bay Area’s are held downstate around Los Angeles.  

In pop culture, California rappers like Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre and Nipsey Hussle – and 1990s urban movie classics like “Friday” —  have popularized weed smoking and created a laidback, dazed-out hip hop weed aesthetic straight out of the stereos of tricked-out whips and against the backdrop of the hazy Southern California sunshine.

In 1996, California became the first state in the United States to legalize marijuana for medical purposes. Then in 2016, by a ballot measure, Prop 64, voters approved the use of recreational marijuana, prompting big investments in the state’s weed industry. But the retail business has been slow to pick up — some say because of high state and local taxes, protests from NIMBYs, and stiff competition from a thriving untaxed illegal market that is more rooted and widespread than the legal one.  

Prop 64 included in it a provision to establish the California Community Reinvestment Grant (CalCRG) program funded by excise and cultivation taxes on cannabis. The program funds programs that assist Californians disproportionately affected by federal and state War-on-Drug policies. Among its programs, the grant helps formerly incarcerated people reintegrate into society with “trauma-informed” care. The majority of those impacted were Black and Hispanic men, women and children.

Even though the state has deemed weed an essential commodity during the COVID-19 crisis, the state’s weed industry is sputtering.

Some weed smokers have been excited that the unofficial observance of weed smoking is unique this year because the date has four twenties in it. Some putting forth the suggestion that entire month of April, which is technically 4/20, like the date, be celebrated this year.

“At 4:20 on 4/20/2020, there will be four twenties,” are the words on a sign rapper Snoop Dogg is holding on a meme making its way around the internet.

But the excitement that was building up to this year’s celebration has been cooled by strict social distancing measures issued by the state during the current pandemic. Organizers of San Francisco’s “Hippie Hill” 4/20 celebration have cancelled the event.

“We take the health and safety of the public, our staff, vendors, and sponsors very seriously. We feel it’s all of our responsibility to do our part to minimize social gathering and potential spread of this virus in the community,” reads a message on Hippie Hill’s official website.

The 4/20 celebration usually takes place in Golden Gate Park, but this year organizers are urging people to stay home and smoke.

“While this event is cancelled in person, it is not cancelled in spirit! We want everyone to celebrate this historic day by staying in and supporting your local delivery services and dispensaries,” it says on the Hippie Hill website.

LOS ANGELES, CA— Free, same-day tests are now available for all LA County residents who have symptoms of COVID-19.  Symptoms include fever, cough, and difficulty breathing. 

The following factors do not affect eligibility for a COVID-19 test: 

• Immigration status
• Insurance status
• Age
• Underlying health issues

Health equity is central to Los Angeles County’s mission to build a network of free COVID-19 testing sites. There are currently 29 operational sites throughout the County. There are both drive-up and walk-up sites. To ensure the sites prioritize people who need it most, only people who are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 are eligible for these testing services at this time.  

Appointments are necessary. Here are the steps for getting a test appointment: 

• Visit the website lacovidprod.service-now.com/rrs
• Answer a series of questions. The answers determine if you are eligible for an appointment. 
• If you are eligible, you will receive an appointment confirmation number by email. 
• Bring the confirmation number and photo ID to your appointment.
• People with no access to the Internet can dial 2-1-1 for help making an appointment. 
• People without a car can be tested as long as they have an appointment. The sites can accommodate pedestrians.
• There are NO walk-up appointments available for people who do not register. 
• For a full list of locations and answers to questions about testing, go tocovid19.lacounty.gov.

There is a helpful instructional video to prepare you to take the test. Test results may take up to 3-4 days. Positive test results will be notified with a phone call. Negative test results will be notified by email.

For more information, visit https://covid19.lacounty.gov/testing. To schedule a test, visit https://lacovidprod.service-now.com/rrs.