The country’s largest Covid testing supersite will become a vaccine distribution center this week, says Garcetti.
The Dodger Stadium diamond and stands have remained empty most of last year, but the parking lot and Top Deck have played a crucial role in public health and administration services. It has served as a drive-through Covid testing site since May of 2020 and the open-air concourse was filled with voting kiosks to allow for a safe—and memorable—voting experience. Now, the expensive sports venue will be strictly focused on distributing vaccines within the city, according to L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti. It will have the capacity to vaccinate up to 12,000 people per day once it’s fully operational, according to the mayor’s office.
“From early on in this pandemic, Dodger Stadium has been home base for our testing infrastructure, a vital part of our effort to track the spread of COVID-19, try to get ahead of outbreaks, and save lives,” said Mayor Eric Garcetti. “Vaccines are the surest route to defeating this virus and charting a course to recovery, so the City, County, and our entire team are putting our best resources on the field to get Angelenos vaccinated as quickly, safely, and efficiently as possible.”
The Dodger Stadium testing supersite will end testing on Monday, January 11, and “transition into a mass vaccination center” by next Sunday, Garcetti announced on Sunday. This shift of resources will temporarily reduce testing capacity in the county, but it will more than triple the number of daily vaccines available to L.A. residents. The mayor’s office stated these operational changes will not affect existing testing appointments this week and that “The City remains committed to providing free testing to residents, with or without symptoms, at eight permanent sites and six mobile sites across L.A.”
This week @LACity supported @LAPublicHealth in opening vaccination sites across the city for health care workers. The vaccine will be available to other groups of essential workers and more Angelenos in the weeks and months to come. Hope is coming to end this pandemic. pic.twitter.com/2NmSMKUbz3
— MayorOfLA (@MayorOfLA) January 10, 2021
Over a million Angelenos have been tested for the virus at the stadium since opening last May, Vaccinations at the site will be distributed in accordance with CDC, State, and County guidance to eligible populations. For more information about vaccine eligibility, Angelenos can visit VaccinateLACounty.com.
For more information about vaccine eligibility, Angelenos can visit VaccinateLACounty.com.
Featured Image: Gerson Repreza via Unsplash