A drive-thru and walk-up COVID-19 testing site undergoes final preparations at UNLV, Tuesday May 26, 2020.
Tuesday, May 26, 2020 | 4:46 p.m.
A new coronavirus testing site at the UNLV will have the capacity to test hundreds of daily patients, including children.
The site, located in the Tropicana Avenue parking garage, will be open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday to Saturday and offer drive-up and walk-up appointments. Testing is free and is available to anyone, with or without symptoms.
The site, which is operated by Clark County and University Medical Center, will replace the setup at the Orleans, which served nearly 14,000 since May 5.The new site debuts Wednesday.
“It’s not lost on us that the community is responding to the call to be tested,” said Jim Gibson, a Clark County Commissioner whose District G includes UNLV. “Our goal is to make testing easy and accessible for anyone who wants it, whether or not they have symptoms.”
Officials hope moving the site to UNLV will broaden its capacity with the availability of walk-up testing to serve pedestrians, bicyclists or anyone who doesn’t have an enclosed vehicle. Children of all ages can be tested as well with parental consent.
“We will test any child who can tolerate the test,” Clark County Fire Captain Brian O’Neal said. “It will rely on coaching on the parents side.”
The drive-thru process should take no more than 15 minutes, O’Neal said. Patients should enter the Thomas & Mack parking lot from the west off University Drive and have their identification on the dashboard.
“When you come to the parking garage, it’s important to have your windows open to maintain access as well as temperature control in your vehicle,” he said, noting the high temperatures in the triple digits forecast for the rest of the week.
The site will also have added shade and tents to accommodate walk-up testing. Clinical Pathology Laboratories, the Nevada National Guard, UNLV and University Police Services will aid in the operation.
“Our ability to do widespread testing is the key to reopening our economy,” Gibson said. “The more testing we do, the more data we gather and the better we are at determining how widespread the virus is in our community.”
Appointments can be scheduled at www.umcsn.com or by calling at (702) 795-4932.
