San Miguel County prepares for coronavirus

March 12, 2020

Ryan Lowery

San Miguel County is following guidelines put in place by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the New Mexico Department of Health, and it has plans in place in the event of an influx of COVID-19 cases in the area, according to Emergency Manager Leo Maestas.

“This is an evolving situation, hour by hour,” Maestas said. “We want to put the community at ease that we are doing a lot of things behind the scenes at the city and county levels to be prepared if and when we do have a positive coronavirus patient.”

If you believe you’ve come in contact with the coronavirus or are showing symptoms, Maestas and other officials urge you to call one of the many hotlines available before going to a hospital or medical clinic. The New Mexico Department of Health has a hotline at 855-600-3453, and locally, Alta Vista Regional Hospital has a hotline at 505-426-3615.

If you have private insurance, your insurance company may also have a phone number you can call for information on how to get screened for coronavirus.

“Your health care provider or doctor will instruct you as to what you need to do, depending on what your symptoms are,” Maestas said.

In the event of a large outbreak of potential coronavirus cases in San Miguel County, Maestas said the county has a plan in place to operate a drive-through testing station where those with potential symptoms of coronavirus could receive testing. According to Maestas, this would help prevent Alta Vista from being overtaxed with potential coronavirus cases.

“We don’t want to inundate our only medical facility here,” he said. “We don’t want to take them away from dealing with other emergencies.”

New Mexico state health officials announced Wednesday that medical tester TriCore Reference Laboratories is now performing diagnostic tests for the COVID-19 virus. Maestas said the partnership with TriCore would further free up services at Alta Vista and other area health care providers.

Maestas said first responders and hospital staff have taken guidance from the CDC and the New Mexico Department of Health as well, and are well prepared to care for anyone who may have contracted the coronavirus.

“We’ve been coordinating with our first responders to make sure they have the proper (personal protective equipment) in cases with suspected coronavirus, so they’re not placing themselves in harm’s way,” he said. “They are prepared to take care of anyone who has a suspected case of coronavirus, or any serious flu viruses.”