SANTA FE – The New Mexico New Mexico Department of Health (DOH) announced on Thursday changes to the testing options available to residents. At the end of last month, Curative notified the state that effective Dec. 28, 2022, Curative will conclude its COVID-19 testing services nationwide. Therefore, the state will only provide free, at-home testing going forward.
Earlier this year, Curative began downsizing their operations in New Mexico, as well as other states they were servicing as demand dropped with the increasing availability of at-home antigen tests that offer results in 15 minutes.
In preparation, DOH, in coordination with local county and city emergency managers ordered 1 million free at-home tests from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on December 1, to be distributed statewide. City and county emergency managers will distribute the free at-home antigen tests in their respective communities via existing distribution plans that were implemented earlier this year.
Additionally, New Mexico residents can still receive mail order free at-home tests through the Rockefeller Foundation’s Project Act program at: https://accesscovidtests.org/. If you have COVID symptoms or have been exposed to someone with COVID, you can also visit a local pharmacy to purchase a test or schedule an appointment with a local testing provider for diagnostic PCR tests that are covered in most cases by insurance and also covered by Medicaid. However, if you do not have symptoms or have not been exposed to someone with COVID, PCR tests are not covered by insurance.
“At-home tests offer an easy, quick and accessible way for individuals to check their COVID status without needing to seek additional appointments in the state’s health care system, which is currently operating over capacity due to a surge in respiratory viruses,” said Acting Department of Health Secretary David R. Scrase, M.D.
At-home antigen tests take 15 minutes to complete, offering users a convenient way to check whether they are infected with COVID-19. Users can follow up with a test from a medical provider or test site to verify results. If you have symptoms, serial testing with an at-home test separated by 48 hours is 90% accurate. It is still important to stay home if you have symptoms to prevent the spread of COVID and other respiratory illnesses such as RSV and flu.
State health experts encourage all individuals at increased risk of severe disease (and their caregivers) to take steps to prevent COVID-19, RSV and other respiratory infections this flu season.
- Stay up to date on flu and COVID-19 vaccinations.
- Stay home if you or your child is sick.
- Wash hands thoroughly and frequently.
- Keep common, high touch surface areas clean and regularly disinfected.
- If you have a child needing medical evaluation, call your healthcare provider or visit an urgent care center. At this time, hospital emergency departments are strained.
- Only visit the hospital if your child shows signs of severe illness, such as significant trouble breathing.
For more information on how to stay safe and healthy from COVID-19, visit cv.health.org and review the DOH COVID-19 Toolkit.