#20-017
STUDY OF AFRICAN AMERICAN AND LATINO VULNERABILITY TO COVID-19 REINFORCES CITY OF CARSON’S LEADERSHIP TO PROVIDE COVID-19 TESTING SERVICES TO ALL CARSON RESIDENTS AND EMPLOYEES - SYMPTOMATIC OR NOT
ALMOST A FIFTH OF CARSON’S POPULATION HAS BEEN TESTED FOR COVID-19 AT CARSON’S FREE TEST CENTER AND NEARLY 100% OF ITS ESSENTIAL CITY EMPLOYEES REPORTING TO WORK
CARSON, CA – August 19, 2020 – The City of Carson has been proactive in leading the way on health safety protocols and social programs for its community in the face of the unprecedented Coronavirus pandemic. Carson was (i) one of the first cities to declare a health emergency, (ii) mandate that the public wear face masks, and (iii) replace its local bus service with subsidized individual rides. In addition, Carson has (iv) funded several food programs for seniors and residents, (v) provided rental assistance to qualified residents, (vi) developed its own City loan program for small businesses and (vii) hired a consultant to assist Carson’s small businesses with applications for SBA and other federal and state loans/grants.
In the lead again, the City of Carson, in partnership with the non-profit USHealthfairs.org, opened the first free COVID-19 test site to offer testing for individuals who don’t have symptoms of the virus and haven’t had a known exposure. One of the City Council’s goals in establishing this program has been to reduce the likelihood of employees and residents of Carson, or surrounding communities, from unknowingly spreading COVID-19 (Coronavirus) as asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic carriers. (This Carson site is the only non-LA County or non-LA City test site in the entire county.)
As of early in August, well over 13,000 individuals have been tested since the COVID-19 test site opened in Carson a few months ago. Of the over 13,000 tested, approximately 75% are residents who may have been exposed to COVID-19. About 10% of those who tested were symptomatic. Most importantly, for Carson residents who tested positive, 13% were asymptomatic. If COVID-19 testing hadn’t been made available to them, they would have been unknowingly contributing to community spread.
To ensure that Carson employees were not unknowingly exposing co-workers and/or residents to the virus, last month the City required all its employees to take the COVID-19 test. Of the well over 300 employees who took the test (representing 100% of essential employees reporting that day), only two (2) employees returned with a positive COVID-19 result. But most importantly, BOTH were asymptomatic. In other words, but for the free testing in Carson, these two (2) asymptomatic employees could have unknowingly exposed others! But, as a result of their testing, they
immediately went into self-quarantine to protect their co-workers, residents, and their families from being exposed to the virus and to our knowledge no one else contracted the virus from these individuals.
Furthermore, the City implemented contact tracing immediately upon learning that these two employees tested positive. Because these two individuals and their co-workers had been so diligent in following the City’s established health protocols, no other employees were identified as needing to be sent home. The City’s employees are to be commended for taking personal responsibility for keeping their co-workers safe.
The following criteria places a county on the state’s watch list: 1) Doing fewer than 150 tests per 100,000 residents daily (over a 7-day average); 2) More than 100 new cases per 100,000 residents over the past 14 days or having more than 25 new cases per 100,000 residents and an 8% test positivity rate; 3) 10% or greater increase in COVID-19 hospitalized patients over the past 3 days; 4) Fewer than 20% of ICU beds available; 5) Fewer than 25% ventilators available.
“Even though we are not a county, if we were, Carson satisfies each of the criteria the State of California has established for counties to get off the watch-list and Carson would therefore not be on the state’s watch list, despite being in a region many identify as a hotspot,” said Mayor Albert Robles. “All our residents and employees deserve the highest kudos.”
Carson’s actions are particularly significant given the City’s demographic composition. Carson’s almost 100,000 residents is comprised of 24% African Americans, 29% Asians, and about 34% Latinos. A UCLA study published on July 27, 2020 emphasized that Black and Latino residents living in L.A. and New York are roughly twice as likely as white residents to die from COVID-19. Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders in Los Angeles County are nearly seven times at risk for becoming infected in Los Angeles and die at nearly five times the rate of white residents.
“19% of Carson residents have taken their test right here in Carson. No other city can claim that. It has been our goal here in Carson since the beginning of this pandemic to provide free COVID-19 testing to all our residents and employees, and to any and all other individuals who would like to be tested, including those who are asymptomatic. It was a giant leap to be the first City in Southern California to offer this testing and I’m glad that we decided to offer this critical service to our diverse community. L.A. County’s positive infection rate is 8%. Despite City of Carson being the most diverse community in the state and potentially in the U.S., there is only a 4% positive rate in Carson, which is 50% of the County’s rate. Clearly, this is directly attributable to our leading health and safety efforts from the beginning,” added Carson Mayor Albert Robles.
The drive-thru testing center is conveniently located at the Congresswoman Juanita Millender-McDonald Community Center, 801 East Carson Street in Carson, just west of the 405 Freeway. Its diagnostic tests are conducted by LabCorp, Quest Diagnostics and Fulgent Genetics Laboratories. Testing is by-appointment only. To schedule an appointment, residents and non-residents can register online at ushealthfairs.org. Through another leading effort, testing at home for Carson residents (65+) who are unable to come to the drive-thru at the Congresswoman Juanita Millender-McDonald Community Center is also be available upon request by calling (310) 952-1719.
“The wisdom shown by Mayor Robles and the city council in bringing a testing site inside the City of Carson is evident by the low COVID-19 case rates we see. The City of Carson has a lower rate of COVID-19 infections--sometimes up to 40% lower--compared to surrounding cities,“ said Dr. Cammy Babaie, Medical Director US Health Clinics.
“Carson’s status as the first City to do comprehensive testing is a testament to the leadership of the Carson City Council,” concluded Mayor Albert Robles.
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