LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — The Nevada State Medical Association is urging Nevadans to call before showing up to a doctor’s office to help limit exposure to others and to put less of a strain on resources.

This comes amid a shortage of coronavirus tests, an issue the I-Team has been uncovering.

According to a press release, the Nevada State Public Health Laboratory is now testing patients, with a capacity to test 200 specimens a day. The Southern Nevada Public Health Laboratory reportedly received extraction kits for 250 more tests.

Once additional testing supplies arrive, the state’s public health labs say they will be able to test more patients, the release says.

Testing in Southern Nevada has been relegated to cases deemed a high priority by the Health District’s Office of Epidemiology and Disease Surveillance.

A CDC spokeswoman told us test kits were sent to Southern Nevada. The Health District Tweeted yesterday more test kits were received but did not reveal how many at the time.

According to the spokeswoman:

“When state laboratories would like to receive testing kits, they submit requests to the International Reagent Resource (IRR) at the CDC. Southern Nevada Public Health Laboratory requested COVID-19 testing kits on March 11, 2020, and IRR shipped them out on March 12, 2020. As of March 18, 2020, IRR has no pending orders from the Southern Nevada Public Health Laboratory.”

As we’ve been reporting, the issue isn’t just the tests.

Yesterday, the I-Team obtained a memo from the acting chief health officer, stating testing needed to stop because they’re out of a chemical needed for testing. Last week, there was a shortage of swabs and tubes.

That’s where private labs and other healthcare providers come in, like Sahara West Urgent Care Wellness on Sahara near Jones. The facility set up drive through testing.

The practice manager said they’ve been offering it for free and have done about 700 to 800 tests, but they don’t have the resources to continue. He noted they’re not getting answers.

“We’ve reached out to the Health District and other state and local officials and no idea. No idea,” said Jose Triana. “There is nothing set in stone. No guidelines. We’re just running it the best we can, keeping our people away from exposure as much as possible and really just hoping for the best for everybody.”

Southwest Medical is also offering coronavirus testing at their convenient care clinics and curbside testing at three locations.

You have to have a referral from a doctor after going through screening first, though. So, you can’t just drive up and be tested. The following are the curbside locations:

Craig Convenient Care : 4090 W. Craig Road, North Las Vegas

: 4090 W. Craig Road, North Las Vegas Convenient Care at Flamingo Healthcare Center : 5580 W. Flamingo Road, Las Vegas

: 5580 W. Flamingo Road, Las Vegas Lake Mead Convenient Care: 310 W. Lake Mead Parkway, Henderson

The I-Team also learned CareNow Urgent Care centers have a limited supply of test kits. A spokesman said they’re ordering more test kits and are screening patients on a limited basis. Also noted, the cost depends on insurance.

“Our CareNow Urgent Care centers have a limited supply of COVID-19 test kits. We are ordering more and are waiting for their arrival. We are only testing positively screened patients (not low or moderate risk). The cost of the COVID test kits depends on the individual’s insurance,” said Antonio Castelan, HCA Healthcare communications manager.

For a list of CareNow locations, click here.

Limited testing is something we’ve been hearing throughout the Valley.