L.A. mayor Eric Garcetti cancels COVID-19 testing site shutdown for movie shoot after backlash

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti early Tuesday canceled the temporary shutdown of a COVID-19 testing site for the purpose of filming a movie after the news sparked outrage on social media.

Mr. Garcetti responded after news spread on social media that the COVID-19 testing site at Union Station was scheduled to be closed Tuesday for the production of “He’s All That,” a remake of 1990s film “She’s All That.” Meanwhile, outdoor and indoor dining remains banned and all public and private gatherings are prohibited in Los Angeles County amid a surge in coronavirus cases.

The homeless advocacy group Ktown for All tweeted a copy of an email allegedly sent Monday from the testing company to a resident explaining that his or her appointment had been canceled.

“In the middle of a horrible and terrifying COVID spike, LA just cancelled all of its Dec 1 appointments at Union Station (one of the only transit-accessible facilities) with less than 24hrs notice because of A FILM SHOOT!! @MayorOfLA @metrolosangeles @lapublichealt WTF???!!???” the group tweeted, City News Service reported.

Both Mr. Garcetti’s office and FilmLA said they were unaware that the filming would lead to the testing site being temporarily shut down, TheWrap reported.

“Working with @LAFD, @Curative & @MetroLosAngeles, my team has worked to reopen testing at Union Station on Tuesday,” the mayor wrote on Twitter. “The 504 Angelenos who were scheduled for a test there can visit the kiosk as originally planned or any of the other 14 City sites, where we offer 38K tests daily.

“Since March 20, the City has administered more than 2.5 million free tests,” he added. “City sites offer free tests to anyone with or without symptoms and results are provided within 24-48 hours. More appointments are available for Angelenos needing a test: Coronavirus.LACity.org/Testing.”

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