LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — A new appointment-only, drive-thru COVID 19 testing site will open in the parking garage at the Texas Station Hotel & Casino at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, June 23. The testing area is located on the first floor of the resort’s parking garage on the south side of the property at 2101 Texas Star Lane, off Rancho Drive in North Las Vegas.

North Las Vegas partnered with Station Casinos and the Southern Nevada Health District to provide the testing.

The Texas Station site is operating in addition to the drive-thru testing site in the UNLV Tropicana parking garage next to the Thomas & Mack Center. Both sites are being operated by Clark County and UMC in partnership with the Nevada National Guard five days a week, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday.

These free testing sites are open to anyone, whether exhibiting symptoms of the virus or not, including children. There are no out-of-pocket costs to patients.

Drive-thru testing is available for people arriving in enclosed vehicles, and both sites offer walk-up testing areas for pedestrians or patients arriving on bicycles or motorcycles.

Appointments can be scheduled through UMC’s website at www.umcsn.com.

As much as possible patients are asked to self-schedule appointments online. From UMC’s home page, click on the “UMC COVID-19 Testing Center” banner and select the “Public” option from the drop-down menu and chose the proper testing location.

Those with no online access or limited access may call UMC at (702) 383-2619 to schedule appointments.

Patients are asked to arrive about 15 minutes prior to their appointment time to get checked in and directed to a testing station.

While appointments are highly recommended, both sites will attempt to accommodate some patients on a daily basis without appointments, depending on available resources.

Testing will take place on the first floor of the Texas Station parking garage on Rancho Drive at Lake Mead Boulevard. Signs will guide people as they arrive.

Identification and a telephone number are required for each person receiving a test. Results will be given via phone within a week.

“We are grateful to Station Casinos and other community partners for helping us get another drive-thru COVID-19 testing site up and running in a location that is more convenient for residents of North Las Vegas and the surrounding area to get to,” said Clark County Commission Vice Chairman Lawrence Weekly, Chairman of the UMC Board of Trustees, whose district includes Texas Station.

“It’s important to have testing sites widely available in our community so we can track any outbreaks we have and limit the spread of the virus as much as possible,” added Clark County Commission Vice Chairman Lawrence Weekly.

Since Clark County and UMC and its partners opened their first drive-thru community-based testing operation, about 34,400 tests have been conducted, including more than 20,500 at the UNLV site and 13,902 at the Orleans. The first drive-thru test operation opened at the Orleans on May 5 and relocated to UNLV on May 27. An additional 11,000 tests have been conducted through County strike team operations with the Southern Nevada Health District and other community partners. The UNLV Tropicana garage has a capacity of about 1,200 to 1,400 tests a day. The Texas Station site will offer 350 tests on opening day and will work to expand its capacity to more than 1,000 tests a day as soon as possible.

The type of testing available at the sites is polymerase chain reaction tests, better known as PCR tests, which show whether someone currently has COVID-19.

Upon booking appointments, patients receive information about how to access test results electronically. UMConnect, UMC’s patient portal, offers a MyChart app and website.

Results are typically available within 48 hours. All results, positive or negative, are reported to the Health District. If patients test positive for the virus, the Health District will follow up with them to provide further guidance.

“We need everyone to take this virus seriously to help us stay safe and stay open,” said Clark County Commissioner Chairman Marilyn Kirkpatrick, a member of Governor Steve Sisolak’s Local Empowerment Advisory Panel (LEAP), which is comprised of officials from different counties in Nevada to advise their local residents, employers and businesses on best practices for following state directives during the Roadmap to Recovery reopening process.

Patients with questions about the virus also can contact their medical providers for guidance.

“We are still living in the middle of a pandemic. One of the most important things you can do right now to help is wear a face covering when you are out in public places. If you won’t wear a face covering for yourself, please do it for your mother, father, or grandparents, who are in high-risk age groups for contracting the virus,” added Clark County Commissioner Chairman Marilyn Kirkpatrick.

Residents with general questions about COVID-19 can call the Southern Nevada Health District’s information number at (702) 759-4636, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Recommended actions to limit the spread of the virus include:

  • Wash your hands often.
  • Clean and disinfect frequently touched items such as your cell phone, doorknobs, and countertops.
  • Maintain at least 6 feet of social distancing per person for non-household members.
  • Wear a face-covering in public places and when around people from other households.
  • All vulnerable individuals should continue to shelter in place as much as possible. Those at high risk of exposure to COVID-19 as defined by CDC guidelines include people 65 and older and those with underlying health conditions such as lung disease, heart conditions, and severe obesity.
  • Members of households with vulnerable residents should be aware that returning to work and other environments where distancing is not practical could carry the virus back home. Precautions should be taken to isolate vulnerable residents.
  • If tested positive for COVID-19, an individual must quarantine and stay home for two weeks. Contacts of individuals who test positive for the virus must stay home for two weeks or until a negative test result has been received.

For information about your community’s response to COVID-19 please visit the following website.