Drive-thru coronavirus testing coming to The Orleans

Clark County and University Medical Center on Tuesday will launch drive-thru coronavirus testing by appointment only inside a parking garage at The Orleans, an operation that leaders say will soon be duplicated throughout the county.

As local jurisdictions throughout the state prepare to roll back certain restrictions on nonessential businesses and enter into Phase 1 of Gov. Steve Sisolak’s blueprint for reopening Nevada, the counties have been tasked with compiling as much test data as possible.

“That’s the whole point: As soon as we learn more, get more data, not only will that help with the research side, but it will help put us in a better position to reopen quickly,” said Commissioner Michael Naft, whose district includes The Orleans.

Under Sisolak’s plan, counties are required to submit information to the state including figures on testing and personal protective equipment, and the reporting of suspected and confirmed COVID-19 cases and deaths.

In the near future, officials say, it is expected that testing sites will pop up throughout the county, including in Laughlin and perhaps in parking garages of other properties belonging to Boyd Gaming, the company that owns The Orleans.

County officials said they believed that expanded testing will help to meet two benchmarks set in the roadmap unveiled by the governor last week: the percentage of people testing positive will decline and hospitalizations will trend downward with appropriate isolation and contract tracing.

Naft said the county’s approach to reopening, which must meet the minimum standards set by the state, incorporates widespread testing, determining what businesses make the most sense to begin operating first from a health perspective and closely working with cities.

“We’ll continue to follow the data,” he said. “As soon as it’s safe to do so, we will slowly open the doors.”

On Tuesday, the county commission is expected to discuss business recovery strategies related to the coronavirus pandemic, which may offer additional clues as to what the landscape might look like. Sisolak gave each county leader across the state more power in “determining the manner in which businesses within its jurisdiction can open.”

In a statement announcing The Orleans testing site Monday, officials said that even as plans come into place, it will remain important for the public to follow health precautions: social distancing, face masks, routine hand-washing and more.

Testing site

The Orleans testing site will be unique in that it will allow people with no COVID-19 symptoms to get tested and participants without insurance do not have to pay, as emergency federal funding picks up the tab. Insured people may also not have a co-pay, depending on their insurance.

Naft said it was key to test individuals even without symptoms in order to get a sense of who might spread the virus.

Ultimately the site could perform 900 daily tests, according to Maj. Laurie MacAfee, the Nevada Army National Guard Medical Detachment commander and deputy commander, Nevada National Guard Task Force Medical.

Once people arrive at the site, they will be checked in and directed to the drive-up testing station, where medical professionals will perform the tests as the patients remain in their vehicles.

Test collection samples will be submitted to UMC’s lab for analysis. Results are expected to be available to patients within 24 to 48 hours, according to the county, and will be reported to the Southern Nevada Health District.

The Orleans Hotel is located at 4500 W. Tropicana Avenue, and testing will occur on the first floor of the resort’s parking garage off Cameron Street.

Patients should arrive 15 minutes before their scheduled appointment time to avoid causing traffic backups.

To schedule an appointment, visit UMCSN.com.

Contact Shea Johnson at sjohnson@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0272. Follow @Shea_LVRJ on Twitter.