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CARSON, Calif. – APRIL 20, 2020 – – The City of Carson today announced the opening of a new COVID-19 test site for area residents with Los Angeles County finally agreeing to sponsor it. The announcement was made by Carson Mayor Albert Robles and the entire members of the City Council during a press conference at Carson City Hall. The City Council is comprised of Mayor Albert Robles, Mayor Pro Tem Jim Dear and Councilmembers Lula Davis-Holmes, Jawane Hilton and Cedric L. Hicks, Sr.
“I am elated that Los Angeles County finally agreed to place a COVID-19 test site locally that will serve the residents of the City of Carson,” said Mayor Albert Robles. “Given our demographic makeup and high rate of infection, the County should have heeded our demand for a testing site much sooner. Communities of color should not be given a lower priority, especially when the data is showing that during this health crisis, our population is much more susceptible and more likely to die.”
The City Council voted unanimously more than a month ago to urge the Los Angeles Board of Supervisors and County Public Health to locate a COVID-19 test site in Carson given the high number of infections among residents and demographic makeup.
The County finally agreed to approve a local drive through test site which will be located at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center located at 1000 West Carson Street just outside the city limits. The testing will begin Tuesday morning on April 21 at 9 a.m.
Recent data on the deaths from Coronavirus show the pandemic is impacting communities of color, specifically African Americans and Latinos at disproportionate rates. Additionally, African Americans and Latinos are more likely to succumb to the disease due to underlying conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, heart disease and asthma, which contribute to the mortality rate of COVID-19.
With a population of almost 95,000 residents, the City is comprised of the most vulnerable populations – 25 percent African American and about 40 percent Latino – the populations that are being infected and dying at much higher rates. Additionally, the City of Carson has one of the highest numbers of positive tests (151) of all 88 cities in L.A. County and among the highest rates on a per capita basis.
According to hospital data from the first month of the U.S. epidemic released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, even though 33 percent of hospitalized patients are African Americans, they only constitute 13 percent of the U.S. population. By contrast, the report found that 45 percent of hospitalizations were among Caucasians, who make up 76 percent of the population. And 8 percent of hospitalizations were among Hispanics, who make up 18 percent of the population.
About the City of Carson: Carson is a city in Los Angeles County, California. As of the 2010 census, Carson had a population of 91,714. Located 13 miles south of downtown Los Angeles and approximately 14 miles away from the Los Angeles International Airport. Incorporated on February 20, 1968, Carson is the youngest municipality in the South Bay region of Metropolitan Los Angeles. The city is generally a working-class city with some middle-class neighborhoods.
