Essential workers can get drive-thru tested for virus in Las Cruces on Thursday

LAS CRUCES, New Mexico -- Essential workers in Las Cruces have yet another opportunity to get screened for the coronavirus during a drive-up screening event.

The New Mexico Department of Health will conduct its latest drive-up screening at the Las Cruces Public Health Office, 1170 N. Solano, from 7 a.m. to noon on Thursday, or until test supplies run out.

The screening is open to first-responders, health-care workers, long-term care workers, utility workers and any employee of all essential businesses. You don't have to have symptoms to be tested.

Organizers are asking that participants limit themselves to just two people per car to avoid unnecessary risk for viral spread. No insurance is required.

This latest screening comes on the heels of a drive-up screening event this past Sunday in the parking lot of the health office that drew hundreds of essential workers.

A spokesperson for the New Mexico Department of Health, David Morgan, told ABC-7 that as the need for testing expands, the state will continue to increase its testing capacity.

"When we started this less than a month ago, we only had the ability to test 600 people in the entire state per day, now were are well into the thousands," said Morgan.

Morgan also said the more people get tested, the better the state will be able to understand how the virus spreads in the community.

"We are going to continue to up our game so we can find out those folks who are asymptomatic, who are potentially spreading unknowingly in the community, "said Morgan. "The sooner we can isolate folks who are asymptomatic, hopefully the faster we can bring an end to this."

For more information the state Department of Health recently added several new features to its Covid-19 website,  https://cv.nmhealth.org/, including testing locations, information by county, demographic information for positive cases and the ability to track cases by zip code. 

In addition, New Mexicans can continue to call with health-related questions to the Department of Health’s coronavirus hotline at 855-600-3453. For non-health-related questions or concerns call 833-551-0518 or visit newmexico.gov.