Los Angeles Reverses COVID Testing Cancelations Amid Film Shoot: Twitter Reacts

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti has reversed his decision to close down the coronavirus testing site at Union Station for a movie shoot, but not before Twitter slammed the city's decision to cancel over 500 testing appointments on Dec. 1.

The initial move by Los Angeles would have closed down the Union Station coronavirus testing site, which is one of the only testing sites on the city's train line, to shoot the “She’s All That” remake film for that one day.

The film, which would have an estimated 170 film crew on site, caused 504 people to have their coronavirus testing appointments canceled, requiring them to go to another testing location in the area without an appointment, Deadline reported.

The initial notice to the people obtained by Deadline said, “We apologize for the inconvenience and delayed notification but LA Union Station Kiosk site has had to cancel all appointments for December 1st due to an event being held at this location,” the late afternoon correspondence from Curative Customer Care proclaimed of the site, which usually operates from 8 a.m.- 3 p.m. Referring to the closure as a “huge inconvenience” in its email, Curative promised patrons they could use their December 1 appointment time “for any date and time in the future that works for you.”

Twitter criticized the city’s decision to hold the film shoot but cancel the coronavirus testing as the city reaches over 401,400 positive cases of the virus, according to Johns Hopkins University data. Those critics included many in the entertainment industry.

Hollywood screenwriter Steven S. DeKnight ("Daredevil," "Pacific Rim: Uprising") said, “This is absolutely repugnant.”

Comic JJ Whitehead wondered, “How Hollywood America is that?”

"Mean Girls" actor Daniel Franzese said, “That has to be the most LA thing I heard all day.”

Garcetti took to Twitter in the early morning hours of Tuesday to reverse course. “Working with @LAFD, @Curative & @MetroLosAngeles, my team has worked to reopen testing at Union Station on Tuesday. 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,” his tweet reads.

A new email to the people whose test appointments were canceled obtained by Deadline read, “We learned today that the Union Station kiosk will be closed on Tuesday, December 1 and unfortunately, your appointment for COVID-19 testing at that location was canceled,” the email said. “However, the City of Los Angeles is able to honor your scheduled testing appointment tomorrow at any of our other testing locations. You do not need to make a new appointment.”

According to Deadline, the film shoot will go on as scheduled on the Union Station South Patio while the coronavirus testing is being held at the station’s testing kiosk.