Dodger Stadium to Transition Into Mass COVID-19 Vaccination Site

The City of Los Angeles is transitioning Dodger Stadium into a mass vaccination center with COVID-19 testing set to end on Monday at the location.

City officials decided to shift testing away from Dodger Stadium so that public health officials “can immediately focus personnel, equipment, and other resources on vaccination distribution.”

“I want to thank Mayor Eric Garcetti, the entire City of Los Angeles, and the Dodgers organization for their partnership in getting us to this point,” said LA County Board of Supervisors Chair Hilda L. Solis. “In this moment of darkness where cases, hospitalizations, and deaths are skyrocketing, this bold step of offering both COVID-19 testing and vaccines in the heart of Los Angeles, reflects the dual nature of this moment – it is dark, but simultaneously hopeful.”

Although the shift will reduce testing capacity in LA County, officials believe that it will more than triple the number of daily vaccines available to be dispersed to Angelenos.

“From early on in this pandemic, Dodger Stadium has been home base for our testing infrastructure, a vital part of our effort to track the spread of COVID-19, try to get ahead of outbreaks, and save lives,” said Mayor Eric Garcetti. “Vaccines are the surest route to defeating this virus and charting a course to recovery, so the City, County, and our entire team are putting our best resources on the field to get Angelenos vaccinated as quickly, safely, and efficiently as possible.”

The Dodger Stadium site, which is one of the largest COVID-19 testing sites in the U.S., will be able to vaccinate up to 12,000 a day once it’s up and running, according to the mayor’s office.

More than one million Angelenos have been tested for COVID-19 at Dodger Stadium since it opened in May 2020.

No existing testing appointments are affected by this week’s operational changes.

For more information about vaccine eligibility, Angelenos can visit publichealth.lacounty.gov/acd/ncorona2019/covidvaccinedistribution.

Anyone seeking a test can find more information at coronavirus.lacity.org/testing or should contact their health care provider.

Source: NBC Los Angeles