COVID test site near Los Angeles airport among those suffering shortage of testing supplies

LOS ANGELES (KABC) – With the fast-spreading omicron variant dropping hospitals again, some COVID-19 test sites in Southern California find themselves on the verge of running out of tests.

ABC7 traveled to a testing site near Los Angeles International Airport on Thursday evening, where officials estimated they could miss testing on Saturday. The site’s distributor may not be able to restock until January 12.

“Just because you got the vaccine and you’re boosted doesn’t mean you have the green light to rip your mask off and go to a party – because we’re going to relive 2021 again” if people aren’t careful to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, said Steve Farzam, CEO of 911 COVID Testing.

A LAX spokesperson told Eyewitness News that there are three testing sites located on airport property to help travelers get tested, and there is no shortage of testing from those sites.

Health experts recommend that people who test positive for COVID after multiple home tests to avoid going to public testing sites for further testing. This will make more tests available for those who need them.

Correction: A previous version of this story stated that the test center in question was located at the airport. This has since been corrected to accurately reflect that the center is located near LAX.