Free COVID Testing
Free COVID-19 testing continues at two sites in the Las Vegas Valley five days a week – Cashman Center in downtown Las Vegas and the UNLV Thomas & Mack Center Strip Pavilion Room – and a full schedule of one and two-day neighborhood testing events. Available locations, dates, and hours of operation are listed in English and Spanish on a COVID-19 testing site calendar posted on the Southern Nevada Health District’s website at www.SNHD.info/covid.
Since May, nearly 216,000 tests have been administered locally. Some area high schools are offering neighborhood testing in their school gymnasiums that is open to the public on upcoming Thursdays and Fridays, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., in October and November. The nasal swab tests will be available on a first-come, first-served basis for people with or without symptoms, including children and families. The Health District, Nevada National Guard, Elite Medical Response, and American Medical Response are operating the sites in partnership with Clark County and the city of Las Vegas:
- Oct. 8-9, Western High School, 4601 W. Bonanza Road
- Oct. 15-16, Cimarron-Memorial High School, 2301 N. Tenaya Way
- Oct. 22-23, Valley High School, 2839 Burnham Ave., near Eastern and Sahara Avenues.
- Nov. 5-6, Silverado High School, 1650 Silver Hawk Ave., near Spencer St and the I-215.
UMC, Clark County, and the Nevada National Guard operate community COVID-19 testing sites at the city of Las Vegas Cashman Center Exhibit Hall A, 850 N. Las Vegas Boulevard on the north side of the facility off Washington Ave., and UNLV’s Thomas & Mack Center Strip View Pavilion, located on the northwest side of the Thomas & Mack Center off Tropicana Avenue and University Drive, second floor. Both sites operate Tuesday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and are open to adults and children. Appointments can be self-scheduled through UMC’s website at www.umcsn.com. From UMC’s home page, click on the “UMC COVID-19 Testing Center” banner, select the “Public” option from the drop-down menu and choose the proper testing location. Those with no online access or limited access may call UMC at (702) 383-2619 to schedule appointments. The Cashman and UNLV sites offer nasal swabs tests self-administered by patients with instructions from on-site clinicians. The sites have separate indoor areas to accommodate those who arrive with and without symptoms. Face coverings, social distancing, temperature checks and symptom screenings are required of visitors entering the facilities. While appointments are urged, both sites offer tests each day to people arriving without appointments on a first-come, first-served basis depending on available supplies. Health officials recommend a COVID-19 test for people if:
- You have symptoms of COVID-19 including fever, cough, or shortness of breath.
- You have been in close contact with someone who has a confirmed or possible case of COVID-19.
- You were in a setting where you were exposed to a large crowd and people were not wearing face coverings or maintaining social distancing.
- You are planning to visit someone at high risk for COIVD-19 illness, including people 65 years of age and older or people with serious medical conditions.
Test results are provided to people by the organization that conducts the testing. The results also get reported to the health district, which will follow up with those who test positive for the virus as part of its disease investigation efforts. Members of the public are urged to do their part to help slow the spread of COVID-19 by “answering the call” when they receive a telephone call from a public health representative or an automated notification through text or email. Agency notifications typically provide recipients with information about self-isolation and ask them to provide information about their health and to identify close contacts who may need to be advised to get a COVID-19 test. Anyone notified of a positive test result will be asked to stay home and self-isolate, to monitor their health, and to follow-up with their primary care physician if they have additional concerns.
Recommended actions to limit the spread of COVID-19 include wearing face coverings in public places and maintaining social distance; avoiding large gatherings; and frequent hand washing and disinfecting of frequently touched items such as doorknobs, counter tops, and cell phones. The following resources are available to help Southern Nevadans get through the COVID-19 pandemic:
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Nevada 2-1-1 – Provides resource referrals to those in need of social service support for self-isolation after testing positive for COVID-19.
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Southern Nevada Health District INFO Phone Line – (702) 759-INFO (4636), 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily, for general questions about COVID-19.
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Southern Nevada Community Health Center – Offers a free telehealth service for uninsured patients at (702) 759-1700 or online at: https://www.southernnevadahealthdistrict.org/southern-nevada-community-health-center/.
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Esta En Tus Manos – Spanish language COVID-19 outreach and information initiative: estaentusmanosnevada.com.
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State of Nevada Health Response Website and COVID-19 Test Finding Locator Tool –https://nvhealthresponse.nv.gov/.
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Nevada COVID Trace App – https://nvhealthresponse.nv.gov/covidtrace. Smart phone users can download this free app to receive alerts when they come into contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19.
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