On Tuesday, January 18, the government website went live online in an early launch for free at-home COVID-19 test kits. To order: COVIDTtests.gov, click on “Order free at-home tests,� to be directed to special.usps.com/testkits. Pierce College is currently hosting a drive-in COVID testing center run by the nonprofit Community Organized Relief Effort (CORE) that announced it would expand COVID-19 testing capacity in Los Angeles amid surging cases due to the Omicron variant. According to L.A. City Controller Ron Galperin’s website, “With the Omicron variant quickly spreading throughout the region—driving up the number of new cases and hospitalizations—testing locations and hours of operation have once again been expanded to accommodate the needs of Angelenos and all L.A. County residents. Testing is available to anyone who is experiencing symptoms, has been in close contact with someone with COVID-19 or is not vaccinated. To find a free testing site today, visit Coronavirus.LACity.org/Testing.� At the Pierce testing site, members of the public will perform a self-administered shallow nasal test. No appointments are needed, tests are first come, first serve, but please pre-register at https://forms.flowhealth.com/access/Core-PierceCollege. Once you’ve registered, take the following steps. 1. Arrive at the testing site 2. Show your patient ID to the onsite team 3. Complete your self-administered PCR test 4. Receive your results in 24-72 hours through the Patient Portal. To obtain your test results you must login to the Patient Portal at https://app.flowhealthlabs.com/patient/login, If you cannot access your test results, email support@flowhealth.com and include the following information: Test date; legal name; testing location; phone number; and address. There are no out-of-pocket costs for testing at a Flow Health public site—your insurance or Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) will be billed for the cost of your test. The tests are open for the entire community and located on the Pierce College campus in the northwest corner of Parking Lot # 7 along Victory Blvd. The testing center is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Entry and exit are reached via Mason Ave. and Victory Blvd. L.A. Pierce College is located at 6201 Winnetka Ave, Woodland Hills, CA 91367. Important note for Pierce College students and employees: if you need to take your “baseline� test, or are required to test weekly, it is mandatory to schedule an appointment with BIOCEPT via the Cleared4 platform. BIOCEPT is located in the North Gym, Room 5600. Do not have this testing done by CORE as it will not be entered into the system.