At Least 15,000 People Tested at Indio Fairgrounds

The COVID-19 testing site in Indio, California, one of Riverside County’s busiest testing sites, has officially administered more than 15,000 tests since March 31. More than 50,000 tests have been administered countywide. Two dozen medical personnel from the California National Guard are administering COVID-19 tests at the site in support of the Riverside County Department of Public Health and the Riverside County Emergency Management Department. U.S. Air Force Capt. Jim Kane, a clinical nurse with the Cal Guard’s 144th Fighter Wing, said that on its busiest days, the site sees almost 600 people. The site is open five days a week for drive-through testing. "The pride we have gets us through the long days and being away from our families. It’s such a meaningful mission. Our team sees it as that," said Kane. "The nature of the mission and the passion for the work is what keeps us going." The Indio site has seen more people than any testing site in the county, and Riverside County has conducted more tests per capita than any county in the state, according to Riverside County officials. Dennis Day, Riverside County Indio Federal Medical Station incident commander, said that one of the reasons for the site’s success is the dedication he has seen from the military and the California Medical Assistance Team. "The collective commitment from the federal, state, and county workers has been substantial. We have shared best practices and adapted to working together immediately," said Day. "We have adopted a one team concept; we are in this together and seek to help as many people as we can." Article from Cal Guard