California becomes 1st state to endorse coronavirus testing for people without symptoms

A drive-thru coronavirus testing site in Bolinas, California.
(Image credit: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

California is changing up who can receive coronavirus testing, becoming the first state to broaden the strict federal guidelines.

Public health officials in the state said Tuesday they are now recommending that asymptomatic people who work or live at places where the coronavirus could spread easily, like prisons or nursing homes, get tested, labeling them "Priority 1."

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.