New Mexico schools announce testing opportunities for COVID-19

Initial events to include APS and Raices del Saber Xinachtli in Las Cruces 

SANTA FE – On Thursday, September 30, Premier Medical Group (PMG) will begin full-service COVID-19 testing for Albuquerque Public Schools (APS) at their Lincoln Complex. This event, to be held from 9 am to 1 pm, will be primarily for unvaccinated teachers and staff who are required to test weekly. APS estimates that there are approximately 4000 unvaccinated staff, most of whom will likely be tested through the PMG program. 

In addition to APS, a PMG testing event will occur at Raices del Saber Xinachtli Community School in the Las Cruces area on Friday, October 8, from 9 am to 1 pm. 

Authorities report high responsiveness for the PMG program from schools throughout New Mexico, with 87 schools already registered to participate.  

The testing events kick off amid ongoing infections driven by the highly contagious Delta variant, which is 2-4 times more contagious than previous strains. Testing and vaccination remain key to protecting the vulnerable, including those who are immunocompromised and children 11 years and younger who are not yet eligible for vaccine. 

New Mexicans are encouraged to schedule vaccine appointments at https://vaccineNM.org - and to maintain COVID-safe practices such as mask-wearing, hand-washing, and physical distancing. More information is available at https://cv.nmhealth.org/.  

Additionally, COVID-19 vaccine providers are now giving Pfizer booster doses to eligible patients. 

• NM will follow the eligibility criteria set forth by the CDC and included in the updated EUA - Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine EUA Fact Sheet for Recipients and Caregivers (fda.gov) but will work to prioritize the people at highest risk first, including people aged 65 and older, residents of long-term care settings, and people aged 50-65 with underlying medical conditions.  
• Eligible patients are encouraged to schedule their booster dose with their medical team - their primary care provider, specialist, or pharmacy provider. Eligible patients can also schedule boosters through https://vaccineNM.org.

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