Valley leaders take part in public awareness campaign, getting tested for coronavirus at Indio Fairgrounds

Local elected and community leaders from the Coachella Valley will be tested for coronavirus at the county fairgrounds in Indio Wednesday morning. 

The event, which starts at 9 a.m., is part of a public awareness campaign to encourage more Riverside County residents tested for coronavirus. 

Community leaders expected to participate in Wednesday morning’s testing event include: 

•        V. Manuel Perez, Riverside County Board Chair, Fourth District Supervisor

•        Thomas Tortez, Torres-Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians Chairman

•        Steven Hernandez, City of Coachella, Mayor

•        Ted Mertens, Indian Wells City Council

•        Chris Freeland, Indian Wells, City Manager

•        Anna Grandys, Indian Wells City Clerk

•        Waymond Fermon, Indio City Council

•        Linda Evans, City of La Quinta, Mayor

•        Steve Sanchez, La Quinta City Council

•        Kathleen Fitzpatrick, La Quinta City Council

•        Robert Radi, La Quinta City Council

•        Jon McMillen, La Quinta City Manager

•        Gina Nestande, City of Palm Desert, Mayor

•        Lauri Aylaian, Palm Desert City Manager

•        Geoff Kors, City of Palm Springs, Mayor

•        Dennis Woods, Palm Springs City Council

•        Grace Garner, Palm Springs City Council

•        Lisa Middleton, Palm Springs City Council

•        Gretchen Gutierrez, Desert Valleys Builders Association CEO

•        Joe Wallace, Coachella Valley Economic Partnership CEO

•        Tom Kirk, Coachella Valley Association of Governments Executive Director

The fairgrounds in Indio are one of four county-run drive-up testing locations in Riverside County. The county says more than 100,000 Riverside County residents have been tested, which is one of the highest per-capita rates in the state. 

You don’t have to have symptoms to get a test. According to the county, “testing for both symptomatic and asymptomatic people provides important information about where the virus is and is not most active in the community. Testing also supports the reopening process.” 

The Indio testing site can perform 600 tests per day. Across all of Riverside County’s 16 testing locations, more than 4,000 people can be tested each day. 

Find all of the testing locations and make an appointment here: www.rivcoph.org/coronavirus/testing.