Mercy Regional Medical Center will decrease its daily COVID-19 testing starting Monday, which prompted other testing centers in La Plata and Archuleta counties to prioritize who gets tested first.
La Plata and Archuleta counties have seen a rapid increase in positive COVID-19 cases, from 106 cases on June 25 to 209 cases Friday. Colorado and communities around the nation have also seen a rise in cases. The decreased testing at Mercy and laboratory capacity and supply constraints around the state means other testing centers must focus on people in most need of tests, according to a SJBPH news release Friday.
“We at SJBPH recognize that a reduction in community testing will be very concerning to all of us,” said Liane Jollon, executive director. “SJBPH is already working with additional community health care partners to offer free testing.”
Mercy will limit tests to 50 each day. The medical center has reduced its testing hours from 8 a.m. to noon Monday to Thursday and Saturday.
Free testing centers will provide tests for “high priority” patients first, or people with COVID-19 symptoms and those notified of exposure by SJBPH or another public health agency. For those looking for assurance they don’t have the disease, private laboratories remain an option.
The medical center did not respond to questions about daily testing numbers before the restrictions, how long the restrictions might last or why it implemented more restrictions than the other testing centers.
“Mercy was doing a great job. We had days when testing (from Mercy) was approaching 150 or 175 a day,” Jollon said.
Mercy, along with the city of Durango, La Plata County, La Plata County Sheriff’s Office, Animas Surgical Hospital and La Plata Integrated Health have come to the table to decide how to increase testing for the community, Jollon said.
The reduction in tests means La Plata County is unable to meet nationwide standards for testing capacity to most effectively control the spread of infection, the SJBPH news release said.
Prioritized testing is available at La Plata Integrated Healthcare in Durango, Archuleta Integrated Health in Pagosa Springs and Mercy Regional Medical Center.
People who have no symptoms or known exposures but live or work with high-risk populations are considered medium priority. They should coordinate with SJBPH or its private testing partners to arrange for testing.
People without a known exposure to a person with COVID-19 are last in line for the tests at free facilities. That includes anyone instructed by an employer or educational facility to get a test. The priority structure does not affect testing for patients being hospitalized.
Cedar Diagnostics, a private laboratory based in Durango, will not implement the priority structure. It focuses its efforts on back-to-work testing, but it will accept appointments for anyone who wants a test, said Michelle Roach, director of operations.
The laboratory has locations in Cortez, Durango and Pagosa Springs. It offers six to eight appointments every day for diagnostic COVID-19 tests, or polymerase chain reaction tests. Antibody testing, which indicates past exposure to the coronavirus, is available for two people every 10 minutes.
“We still need to make sure we’re taking care of our patients’ regular needs,” Roach said. “If we feel like we need to open up more spots for more PCR appointments, that’s just a scheduling matter. Right now, we feel like we’re meeting both needs.”
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