Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Testing remains crucial in Las Vegas’ battle against coronavirus

MGM Resorts Hiring Fair

Steve Marcus

Poker dealer Nick Diana, right, waits in line for a COVID-19 test after getting a job offer during an MGM Resorts hiring fair at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center Tuesday, May 4, 2021.

With the rise of COVID-19 cases in Southern Nevada, health officials continue to reiterate that vaccination is the best tool to stem the spread. 

But with breakthrough cases of the more transmissible delta variant becoming more far-flung — albeit mostly causing asymptomatic infections — testing is also an important component to mitigate the spread. The test positivity rate for Clark County is 17.3%, a significant increase from 3.4% in May.

The good news: Ample free testing opportunities exist across the valley. The Southern Nevada Health District and its partners have five locations available: the Health District’s headquarters, campuses of the College of Southern Nevada and UNLV’s Stan Fulton Building.

That’s in addition to private entities, such as health care providers and pharmacies, the Health District said. Walgreens, for example, offers free drive-thru testing and sells at-home tests. Places like Walmart and CVS Pharmacy also provide free diagnostics. 

“The Health District continues to work with partners including local jurisdictions to monitor resources available in the community, including testing,” the agency said in a written statement. “Testing can be scaled up or down if it is necessary.”

Depending on testing demand, results are typically available within 48 hours, according to the Southern Nevada Health District, which noted that people who test positive for the virus are notified by phone or email. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that, regardless of vaccination status, people with COVID-19 symptoms should test for the virus. 

“Fully vaccinated people should be tested 3-5 days following a known exposure to someone with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 and wear a mask in public indoor settings for 14 days or until they receive a negative test result,” the CDC said.

Those who are not inoculated should test after they partake in risky activities, to include travel, large social gatherings, or being at poorly ventilated indoor functions, the CDC said.

“If you get tested because you have symptoms or were potentially exposed to the virus (including the vaccinated), you should stay away from others pending test results and follow the advice of your health care provider or a public health professional,” the CDC said.

COVID testing in Clark County plummeted from the highest point of about 12,500 tests in December (a 14-day moving average), to about 3,400 in mid-June, its lowest point this year, according to the Nevada COVID dashboard.

Since then, testing ticked up to 6,300 as of early August (14-day moving average), and had dropped slightly to about 5,300 daily tests as of Tuesday, data shows.

This week, the positivity rate was at a two-week average of about 17%, well above the 3.4% positivity rate in June, and more than the 5% rate the World Health Organization recommends to ease restrictions.

Thus far, the only restriction Nevada has imposed in most of the state to stem the rise was universal masking at public indoor settings, regardless of vaccination status. 

COVID hospitalizations also have shot up this year from a low of 17 suspected cases on June 8, to 1,068 confirmed COVID cases as of Tuesday, according to the dashboard. About 250 patients suspected of having COVID were in intensive care units, 170 of those patients were on ventilators. 

In Clark County, which accounts for the bulk of the cases in Nevada, virus infections since the onset of the pandemic last March amount to 289,746 as of Wednesday, with 4,875 confirmed deaths, according to state data.

Most testing sites require appointments. More information on locations and to schedule a test, visit the Southern Nevada Health District or Nevada Health Response sites. 

The Stan Fulton drive-thru facility at UNLV, 801 E. Flamingo Road, which also is offering vaccine jabs, requires no appointment, but is limited to 300 vaccines and 500 tests a day, according to Clark County. It’s open from 5:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. from Sunday to Thursday. 

Information on vaccine sites, some of which offer walk-ups, is available here