CEO of Merso Labs explains confusion over free rapid testing in Lompoc
KSBY
and last updated 2021-01-13 11:11:52-05
Free rapid testing for COVID-19 from Merso Labs has been available in Lompoc for nearly a month.
Many people say they spent hours in line to get the tests, only to be asked for cash once they got to the door.
The rapid tests are only free, however, if you have proof of insurance. If you do have insurance and you don t bring [proof of] it, and you claim that you don t have insurance, we don t get reimbursed for that and that s just a loss for us, Kaleb Asfaha, CEO of Merso Labs, said.
and last updated 2020-12-24 19:24:13-05
A COVID-19 rapid testing site is now open in Lompoc. Thursday was the first day people were able to get tested for free and receive their results within minutes.
Many of the residents who decided to show up to the free testing site said they went because they needed to know their results before they get together with family for the holidays. It s great because you cannot wait 3-5 days for the results, especially if you have to work or have family gatherings. Even though it s family, you just don t want it to spread, just to make sure we don t have COVID,â Lompoc resident Ricardo Garay said.
Welcome to Noozhawk Asks, a new feature in which you ask the questions, you help decide what Noozhawk investigates, and you work with us to find the answers.
Here’s how it works: You share your questions with us in the nearby box. In some cases, we may work with you to find the answers. In others, we may ask you to vote on your top choices to help us narrow the scope. And we’ll be regularly asking you for your feedback on a specific issue or topic.
We also expect to work together with the reader who asked the winning questions to find the answer together. Noozhawk’s objective is to come at questions from a place of curiosity and openness, and we believe a transparent collaboration is the key to achieve it.
County Public Health Leaders Discourage Holiday Travel, Gatherings to Quell Surge of COVID-19
The recommendations are the same as before Thanksgiving, but with more urgency; a free rapid testing site is offered every Thursday in Lompoc
“The risk of getting infected is very high,” Santa Barbara County Public Health Officer Dr. Henning Ansorg says in urging people to celebrate holidays safely by avoiding travel or gathering with friends and family. (Brooke Holland / Noozhawk photo) By Giana Magnoli, Noozhawk Managing Editor | @magnoli
December 23, 2020
| 9:03 p.m.
Santa Barbara County Public Health authorities and other officials have urged people not to travel or gather with family and friends for the holidays, since the county and the rest of state is in the worst surge of the COVID-19 pandemic.