COVID-19 Testing Available For Santa Monica Students

SANTA MONICA, CA — COVID-19 testing is available for Santa Monica and Malibu students Monday at John Adams Middle School, Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School district officials said.

Testing is available until 1:30 p.m. at John Adams Middle School, 2425 16th St., Santa Monica.

As coronavirus cases rise in Los Angeles County, the district is urging parents to sign up students who are experiencing symptoms for COVID-19 testing.

As of Monday, the district plans to continue in-person instruction.

"We are committed to continuing in-person instruction and have taken measures to ensure that
we are doing so safely," Superintendent Ben Drati said in a statement and message to parents this weekend.

"As you are aware, we have updated our air systems, enhanced sanitation procedures, required face masks indoors and outdoors, continued conducting on-site weekly PCR testing, and have offered vaccination clinics to fight this relentless virus," Drati said.

"If your student or someone else in the house is experiencing symptoms please come to John Adams Middle School on Monday 1/3/2022 between 8:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. for response testing and registration," Drati said.

People can register online.

Vaccine clinics

District officials also urge parents to get students vaccinated and schedule booster appointments.

"You can help by ensuring your child is vaccinated (and boosted if applicable); testing for COVID-19 if they have been exposed or are presenting symptoms; and keeping them home if they are ill," Drati said. "If your child has not yet been vaccinated, please schedule them for one as soon as possible."

The district will also offer additional vaccine clinics this month on Saturdays:

Jan. 4, John Adams Middle School - 2:30 - 5 p.m
Jan. 5, McKinley - 2:30 - 5 p.m.
Jan. 6, Malibu HS - 2:30 - 5 p.m.

Sign up online.

Los Angeles County reported nearly 45,000 new cases of COVID-19 this weekend, an alarmingly high number in light of the typical delays in weekend reporting.

Officials reported 23,553 new cases for Saturday, and another 21,200 positive tests Sunday, after a one-day record of 27,091 new infections were reported Friday.

Four additional deaths related to the coronavirus were also logged this weekend, two each on Saturday and Sunday.

The latest numbers bring the county's cumulative totals to 1,741,292 cases and 27,640 deaths since the pandemic began, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.

Meanwhile, the county's COVID hospitalizations continued to rise, jumping by more than 150 for the second consecutive day. The number of COVID patients in county hospitals rose to 1,792, up from 1,628 on Saturday, according to the latest state figures. Of those patients, 263 were in intensive care, up from 246 the previous day.

The daily test positivity rate was 21.8 percent as of Sunday.

Health officials continued to urge residents to curtail higher-risk activities, including indoor activities where individuals are unmasked for long periods of time, as well as crowded outdoor events.

- City News Service and Patch Editor Nicole Charky contributed to this report.

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