UPDATE JUNE 4: Hours of operation for COVID-19 testing at the UNLV Tropicana parking garage are now five days a week, Tuesday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The site is located next to UNLV’s Thomas & Mack Center off University Drive and Tropicana Avenue. Clark County and UMC are operating the site in partnership with the Nevada National Guard and UNLV.
ORIGINAL STORY
Options for getting COVID-19 testing are expanding in the Las Vegas valley. On Wednesday, a drive-thru testing operation at The Orleans moved to UNLV.
The testing is being held inside the Tropicana parking garage Monday through Saturday 8 a.m. through 4 p.m.
On the first day of operation, hundreds of people showed up with lines of cars stretching across two parking lots and, at times, spilling out into the street.
Representatives with Clark County said a total of 1,226 tests were conducted.
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Captain Brian O’Neal, with the Clark County Fire Department, said less than half of the people who showed up on Wednesday registered beforehand, and that can slow the process down.
Patients can register on-site, but it’s preferred they register online or by calling UMC at (702) 383-2619.
You can now avoid the long line of cars by walking or biking to get tested.
“We have had a steady flow of walk-ups and it’s been college students, it’s been homeless that live in the area, and I believe it’s people that live in the area and trying to utilize that service,” Captain O’Neal said.
Children of any age can also be tested at this location with parental consent.
Wednesday, there weren’t many kids, but doctors said they hope more parents will bring their children for testing so they can have a better understanding of how to fight the virus.
“We want to give our local pediatricians sufficient information from a public health perspective to determine whether special steps need to be taken,” said Dr. Luis Medina-Garcia, UMC Infectious Disease Physician.
