Health and hospital officials in Las Vegas said Monday they've closed a busy drive-thru coronavirus testing site in a casino parking structure to replace it with an indoor operation at a city-owned conference hall.
Clark County and University Medical Center said the downtown Cashman Center site will open Aug. 4, replacing the Texas Station hotel-casino site.
With testing operations at capacity and several-day waits for results, the hospital recently adjusted testing policies to give priority to people exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19 and those who have been exposed to the virus.
Officials have also introduced a five-day waiting period following negative test results for health care workers and first-responders, unless symptoms of COVID-19 appear.
For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause severe illness including pneumonia and death. The vast majority recover.
Nevada health officials reported 997 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Monday, but for the first time in a month no additional deaths.
The numbers released by the state Department of Health and Human Services kept the total number of known deaths at 734 but pushed the total confirmed coronavirus cases to 43,831.
The number of infections is thought to be far higher because many people have not been tested, and studies suggest people can be infected with the virus without feeling sick.
The number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 across Nevada decreased from a day earlier, with 879 confirmed cases and 233 suspected cases.
For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some — especially older adults and people with existing health problems — it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and death.
The Cashman Center testing operation plans to provide walk-up testing, but officials recommend people make appointments to avoid long waits. Reservations will be offered through the University Medical Center website or by telephone.
Since May 5, Clark County, the Southern Nevada Health District, UMC, the Nevada National Guard and area ambulance companies have conducted more than 121,000 COVID-19 tests at various Las Vegas-area locations, officials said.