ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) - New Mexico health officials said Tuesday they are hoping to boost the number of people getting tested for COVID-19 through a new program that will provide free, at-home test kits to anyone who requests one.
Through a partnership with Vault Medical Services, the saliva tests can be ordered online. All that’s needed is an internet connection, an email address and photo identification.
State officials acknowledged the lack of broadband access around New Mexico and said the new at-home option expands what they described as one of the most wide-reaching testing programs in the nation. The state Health Department has been operating in-person testing locations in every county since early in the pandemic, including in spots that have connectivity issues.
The state is now averaging more than 14,000 tests a day, and that’s expected to grow with the new program. In all, more than 1.8 million tests have been done since the beginning of the pandemic.
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said in a statement that expanded testing will help drive down positivity rates because health officials can better understand the scope and spread of the virus. The positivity rate is among the benchmarks the state considers when determining whether the risk level is decreasing and counties can begin to relax public health restrictions.
“We need more New Mexicans to get tested,” Lujan Grisham said. “We’ve worked hard every single day this year to make testing fast, easy and accessible to everyone.”
An early glitch on the Vault website asked for credit card information and charged over $100 for the tests, but officials said the problem was corrected.
Any New Mexican with access to online video-conferencing can get a test at home. They can mail the sample back for processing after self-administering the test with a virtual testing supervisor. Results will be returned within 24 to 48 hours of being received by the lab.
Health officials reported an additional 1,272 confirmed cases Tuesday, pushing the statewide total since the pandemic began to more than 132,000. Another 23 deaths also were reported, bringing that tally to more than 2,200.
Top health officials said during a briefing that New Mexico appears to be on the downside of the latest surge as the seven-day rolling average of confirmed cases has been declining. While test positivity remains high, it’s lower than it was just a couple of weeks ago.
“We think the drop that we’re seeing in cases is related to the reset and people being careful over Thanksgiving,” Human Services Secretary Dr. David Scrase said, referring to tougher public health restrictions that were imposed in mid-November.
Officials still are worried about Christmas and the potential for a post-holiday surge if people choose to gather with family or friends, he said.
Vaccinations among frontline health care workers also are ongoing, with about 14,000 shots being administered so far.
Health Secretary Dr. Tracie Collins said the state has launched a new registration app where people can sign up for vaccinations.
Under the state’s plan, health care workers are among the first to receive shots, while staff and residents at nursing homes and other long-term care facilities will follow. Discussions are ongoing about distribution for other groups once more vaccines become available, Collins said.
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