COVID-19 testing at Lake Tahoe Community College through July

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - COVID-19 testing will continue in the Lake Tahoe Community College (LTCC) Physical Education building through the end of July, at a minimum.

The LTCC virus testing site is the only large scale site in El Dorado County after the site at Ponderosa High School in Shingle Springs closed. There has since opened a testing site in El Dorado Hills.

The decision to continue using the facility as a testing site will be made on a month-to-month basis going forward.

Health service staff is conducting nasal swab tests in LTCC’s PE building by appointment only in order to determine the active presence of the COVID-19 virus at the time of testing. Antibody tests to detect if someone has already been exposed to the virus are not offered at this time. Tests will be available to
any county resident regardless of their health, access to medical insurance, or immigration status free of charge, with priority going to those with COVID-19 symptoms such as fever and shortness of breath.

Residents from the Nevada side of Lake Tahoe are also eligible to be tested at LTCC.

To register for an appointment online, visit the Logistics Health Incorporated test site (https://lhi.care/covidtesting) or call 888-634-1123. They will be closed for the holiday and reopen on July 7.

Test results should take 48-72 hours but can be as long as eight days due to increasing demand. Patients who test positive will be contacted via telephone by a nurse.

The planning and operation of LTCC’s test site is the responsibility of El Dorado County’s Emergency Operations Center. LTCC’s PE Building is a standalone structure located more than 100 yards away from all other facilities on LTCC’s campus, allowing essential college employees to safely conduct their work without interacting with visitors coming for COVID-19 testing.

LTCC’s main parking lot is divided, with barricades and signage used to limit access to the PE building to medical personnel and test patients only. Security checkpoints are in place to keep those visiting for tests from accessing any other college facilities. No college personnel will be involved in testing work.

When the testing site closes, LTCC’s PE Building will undergo an intensive sterilization process led by public health experts before returning to service for college activities.

LTCC is located at One College Drive off of Al Tahoe Boulevard in South Lake Tahoe. Testing days and hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 7:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., closed Sundays, Mondays and holidays.