Appointment-Only, Drive-Thru Coronavirus Testing In Clark County

Press release from the Clark County Government:

May 5, 2020

Clark County and University Medical Center will launch a by appointment-only, drive-thru testing program at the Orleans Hotel & Casino seven days a week, Sunday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. as an initial step toward expanding the community's capacity to make COVID-19 testing more widely available to the public.

Starting today, the public can schedule an appointment to be tested at the site by visiting the COVID-19 Testing Center on the home page of UMC's website at www.umcsn.com. The Orleans site will offer 300 appointments between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. each day of the week. The Orleans Hotel is located at 4500 W. Tropicana Avenue. Testing will take place on the first floor of the resort's parking garage off Cameron St., on the west side of the property.

Data tracking is critical, and local public health authorities and counties will be required to submit information to the state involving PPE supply, testing and timely reporting of suspected and confirmed COVID-19 cases and deaths, the Roadmap explains. "The State is actively monitoring statewide COVID-19 data reporting for progress toward meeting reopening criteria and will continue [to] require robust reporting from public health authorities and counties throughout Nevada moving progressively through each phase," according to the state roadmap. "Community-based testing is critical to Nevada's effort to reopen the economy and keep it open." Testing "will allow local, state, and tribal leaders to assess the effectiveness in prevention measures and to identify and facilitate interventions for future outbreaks."

Federal funding through the CARES Act will cover the costs for testing for those with no insurance. Patients who have insurance will be asked to provide it for billing purposes, and depending on their insurance may not have a co-pay. When patients arrive for their appointment, they will be checked in and directed to a drive-up testing station. Medical professionals will conduct the test as patients remain in their cars. Test collection samples will be sent to UMC's lab for analysis. Results are expected to be available to patients within 24 to 48 hours. The results, positive or negative, will be reported to the Southern Nevada Health District.

The type of testing available at the site is polymerase chain reaction tests, better known as PCR tests, which show whether someone currently has the coronavirus. UMC is working on expanding its capacity to process PCR tests to 10,000 a day by June 1. UMC also expects to offer anti-body testing for coronavirus, which shows whether someone is currently infected or may have been infected in the past, later this month at more a limited capacity.

Additionally, the Southern Nevada Health District is working with local jurisdictions to conduct testing in senior residential complexes and other facilities located in high-risk areas.

Officials say as plans are put into place to re-open businesses and facilities in phases, it will continue to be important for residents to help limit the spread of COVID-19 by social distancing and wearing face coverings in public places, washing hands and practicing good cough and sneeze hygiene, and limiting your contact with others if you test positive for the virus or someone in your immediate household does.

This press release was produced by the Clark County Government. The views expressed here are the author’s own.