Coronavirus testing: Los Angeles Mayor Garcetti announces online registration for high-risk, vulnerable residents

LOS ANGELES, Calif. (KABC) -- Mayor Eric Garcetti on Sunday announced Los Angeles was launching a web portal on a city website where the most high-risk residents can sign up for coronavirus testing.

"The initial rollout of this limited number of tests that we will help to conduct is for the most vulnerable Angelenos," Garcetti said at a late afternoon news conference, "those with symptoms, those who are 65 and older, who have underlying health conditions, or both."

The mayor said such individuals are being prioritized because "they have the greatest risk of dying if they have COVID-19."

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After patients who meet the criteria visit the web portal at coronavirus.lacity.org, they will be directed to a testing center. Those who arrive at the testing center will be required to present identification.

"I want nobody to have fear," the mayor said. "It doesn't matter -- your immigration status, it doesn't matter who you are, it doesn't matter if you're a visitor.

Early Tuesday morning, the Crenshaw Christian Center in South Los Angeles opened its doors as a testing site for COVID-19.

"We just need that ID to confirm that, of course, you're the person who's gone through the portal for the test."

Asking for patience during the registration page's initial rollout, Garcetti said he hoped to expand the city's testing capacity.

Crenshaw Christian Center in South Los Angeles will become a testing site for COVID-19 starting Tuesday at 5 a.m.

In a tweet on Sunday evening, the mayor announced that the registration page on the website was now open to registrants.