El Paso County to use high-tech, light-pulsing robots to disinfect courthouse, other facilities of virus

EL PASO, Texas -- El Paso County is following in the footsteps of the Ruidoso Municipal School District in taking a different approach to fighting the Covid-19 pandemic.

On Wednesday, the county will begin deploying several Xenex germ-zapping robots to disinfect facilities including the El Paso County Courthouse, Juvenile Probation Department, Ascarate Park, County Attorney offices, Community Services Department and others.

The San Antonio-based manufacturer said the robots are capable of eliminating the coronavirus from any area in two minutes.

The robots use pulsed, intense bursts of broad-spectrum ultraviolet light to kill viruses and bacteria on surfaces.

Last month, the Ruidoso school district in New Mexico became the first in the region to purchase and deploy the Xenex germ-zapping robots specifically to fight Covid-19.

The Xenex company said prior to the pandemic, its robots had been used for other disinfection duties in healthcare facilities locally such as University Medical Center and the William Beaumont Army Medical Center.