El Paso will now offer drive-thru service if your doctor orders virus testing

EL PASO, Texas -- The El Paso Department of Public Health announced Tuesday that in addition to offering drive-thru coronavirus testing for first responders and healthcare workers, it will now also offer the service to residents who obtain a doctor's order for testing.

“We are implementing a system so people who do not need emergency room care can be sampled and tested while not overwhelming the healthcare system,” said Wanda Helgesen, executive director of the Border Regional Advisory Council.

Helgesen emphasized that only people who have met the testing criteria and obtained a doctor’s order for testing will qualify: "The ordering doctor will schedule an appointment for the drive-thru collection site for the patient." Click here for details on who qualifies for testing in El Paso.

Health officials outlined the following drive-thru screening process, for those who qualify, which takes less than ten minutes per vehicle.

1.     Patient must first visit their Primary Care Provider (PCP) and obtain a doctor’s laboratory order for COVID-19 sample collection. The PCP will make an appointment at the drive-thru specimen collection clinic for the patient.

2.     The patient will arrive at the drive-thru clinic (site not disclosed to the public) and will be asked to show their identification and their doctor’s laboratory order by holding it up against their closed vehicle window. To maintain social distancing, it is requested that only the patient and/or a second person with a doctor’s laboratory order be inside a single vehicle.

3.     The patient will follow signage, drive forward as directed, and will be approached by collection specialists who will be wearing personal protective equipment. This is used to protect both the medical professional and the patient being screened. (Parents should explain to children ahead of time of what to expect so as to reduce fear and anxiety that may come with the scenario.)

4.     At the next stage, the patient will be asked to lower their window and put on a mask that will be provided to them, so that the healthcare worker can swab the back of their nostrils and collect the needed specimen.

5.     The patient will then leave the area and be provided instructions and information on how to self-quarantine or self-isolate.

6.     In approximately three to five days, the results will be sent by the commercial laboratory to both the patient’s physician and to the Department of Public Health.

7.     The physician will advise the patient of their status and if positive, the patient will be ordered by the City/County Health Authority to self-quarantine or self-isolate at home and away from others. This will also trigger an epidemiological investigation by the DPH. The DPH member will make contact with the patient to discuss the process.