(Santa Ana, CA) – To lessen the spread of COVID-19 during the holiday travel season, the OC Health Care Agency (HCA) and John Wayne Airport (JWA) are pleased to announce that beginning Wednesday, December 8, no-cost, self-collection COVID-19 testing kits will be distributed to travelers at JWA.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, travelers arriving in the U.S. are advised to get a viral test 3-5 days after travel, regardless of vaccination status.
“This is another example of the important work we have been doing throughout these past two years to protect our community during COVID,” said Chairman Andrew Do, First District Supervisor. “Bringing COVID tests to travelers will only help to encourage more people to keep getting tested to support early detection and prevent COVID from spreading.”
“The holidays are about spending quality time with family and friends,” said Vice Chairman Doug Chaffee, Fourth District Supervisor. “This is also a time for us to come together and protect our loved ones however we can, which includes continuing to get tested against COVID if we are traveling and in close contact with others who may be unvaccinated.”
Supervisor Katrina Foley, Second District, stated, “Testing saves lives, which is why it is so critical that we make it as easy as possible for people to have access. Making these convenient tests available to the thousands of travelers who arrive in Orange County everyday will help prevent COVID-19 variants from spreading in our community. I am grateful to our Health Care Agency for working with all of our offices and departments to distribute test kits to many vaccine clinics, local schools, and businesses. We want equal access to testing for all residents.”
“This pandemic has been a challenging time for all of us,” said Supervisor Donald P. Wagner, Third District. “I am grateful for the initiative being taken in our County through HCA and JWA to ensure that people visiting or returning to Orange County are adequately tested and that ultimately our residents are safe.”
“As a County, we have conducted over 5.8 million COVID tests to date, which means many have done their part to support their loved ones and the community,” said Fifth District Supervisor Lisa Bartlett. “This collaboration between HCA and JWA will help ensure that people continue to have the resources available to keep getting tested and prevent the spread of COVID.”
The self-collection test kits continue to be available to order online at no cost by visiting ochealthinfo.com/covidtest, come with a prepaid shipping label, and are able to be dropped off at any FedEx drop-off location or scheduled for a pickup by calling (800) 463-3339.
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