South Lake Tahoe COVID-19 testing place to remain at LTCC

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - As confirmed cases continue to rise in El Dorado County, Lake Tahoe Community College announced it will continue to serve as an appointment-only COVID-19 testing center through August 2020. The college’s standalone Physical Education building is the only large-scale COVID-19 active virus testing site in the entire county.

Due to a high volume of online appointments being made that have turned into a large number of no-shows, Logistics Health Incorporated is now opening up appointments on a week-by-week basis. Those interested in getting tested who cannot make an appointment in the current week should try again the following week as new appointments become available.

Health service staff is conducting nasal swab tests to determine the active presence of the COVID-19 virus at the time of testing. Tests will be available to any county resident regardless of their health, access to medical insurance, or their immigration status free of charge, with priority going to those with COVID-19 symptoms such as fever and shortness of breath.

To register for an appointment online, visit the Logistics Health Incorporated test site (https://lhi.care/covidtesting), or call 888-634-1123 if you do not have internet access. Test results reportedly take 4-6 days, but delays are happening due to the volume of testing currently underway. Patients who test positively 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 are 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 the heart of 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 and Mondays. For more information, visit www.ltcc.edu.