SANTA FE – New Mexico State Senator Joseph Cervantes announced today that the New Mexico State Department of Health will begin to provide COVID-19 testing in southern Doña Ana County commencing Monday April 6, 2020.
In response to requests from elected officials for the City of Sunland Park, NM, Sen. Cervantes began working last week with Department of Health Cabinet Secretary Kathy Kunkel and the administration of Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham. Senator Cervantes confirmed today with Sec. Kunkel that COVID-19 testing administered by the State Department of Health will begin serving south valley communities of Doña Ana including not only Sunland Park but also Santa Teresa, La Union, Anthony and Chaparral.
According to United States Census Bureau estimates from 2017, the population of the City of Sunland Park alone is 17,639, which makes Sunland Park the 12th largest city in New Mexico. Santa Teresa is the most active and successful economic development area of the State leading with cross border trade, as well as a new inter modal spur for national railroad commerce.
Cervantes stated:
“El Paso is literally across the street from New Mexico in the Senate district I represent, and it is essential we fight this pandemic by recognizing the virus has no relation to state or national borders.” Traveling 50 miles to Las Cruces for testing is unreasonable for communities which do much of their daily shopping and many activities in El Paso.”
In addition to most goods and services, residents of southern New Mexico rely on El Paso for its International Airport, hospitals and health services. El Paso has a population of 682,669 according to most recent estimates. Neighboring Juarez is estimated to have a population of 1.5 million residents.
Sunland Park City Councilor Olga Nunez first asked Senator Cervantes to try and bring testing services to Sunland Park. Secretary of Health Kunkel was responsive to the Senator’s efforts, and with Governor Lujan Grisham promised state resources needed for testing.
“This is going to require a coordinated New Mexico effort along with El Paso and Texas to track and prevent the spread of this illness in a very unique part of our state” Sen. Cervantes said.
For a complete list of testing sites and details on days and hours of operation, visit: https://cvprovider.nmhealth.