Today, the county opened a new testing facility in Lompoc meant to expand community access to COVID-19 testing, an essential prerequisite for easing restrictions. The facility is located at Anderson Recreation Center, and is by appointment only. Appointments can be scheduled online at lhi.care/covidtesting or by calling 1 (888) 634-1123. The center will be open 7 a.m.-7 p.m. daily, although hours may change based on community need. The center has the capacity to perform 132 tests a day, and today’s schedule is already full, according to a press release put out by county health Friday morning.
The Anderson Center is the third community testing facility to be opened in Santa Barbara County in the last week, following centers in Santa Maria and Santa Barbara. Greater access to testing is a key factor in taking steps to ease restrictions put in place to stem the spread of the virus, and is one of California Governor Gavin Newsom’s highest priorities that must be met before reopening can be considered. While anyone is free to schedule an appointment, the following groups of people are prioritized:
• Health-care workers and first responders