El Paso, New Mexico health officials announce arrival of coronavirus test kits

EL PASO, Texas — The El Paso Health Department and the New Mexico Department of Health now have the capacity to test for COVID-19 with tests kits provided by the federal government.

The agencies announced Wednesday that the kits from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will allow them to test patients for the coronavirus without having to send samples out of state for analysis.

Officials emphasized that testing will only be provided in cases with a doctor's referral, individuals cannot show up at health department offices seeking to be tested.

CDC guidelines say screening will be considered for people with signs of the illness who test negative for more common respiratory illnesses and have traveled to countries including China, South Korea, Italy and Iran.