The Los Alamos National Laboratory is set today to begin testing its own employees for COVID-19, a spokesperson for the Department of Energy facility in northern New Mexico confirmed Monday.
The local Los Alamos Reporter broke the news Monday.
Los Alamos is the second National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) nuclear weapons lab to begin testing. The Sandia National Laboratories in New Mexico and California was cleared in early April to begin testing on-site personnel who are reporting to work to continue essential national security projects.
As at Sandia, testing at Los Alamos will be by appointment only and done via drive-through, according to the lab spokesperson. The lab plans to first test personnel “working on-site in mission critical functions, medical professionals and emergency response personnel,” according to a statement provided Monday evening.
Los Alamos workers involved with mission-critical construction were among the four site employees who have so far tested positive for COVID-19, the independent federal Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board said in a report published Friday.
Los Alamos employs some 12,700 employees and contractors, most of whom are still working off-site.
“Following a successful pilot program and dependent on an adequate supply test materials, the Laboratory plans to expand the program to increasing numbers of high priority, on-site mission critical Laboratory and NNSA Federal employees,” according to the lab’s Monday statement. “Test collection will be through nasal or throat swab to detect viral RNA using a reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test, not a blood antibody test.”
Los Alamos personnel will collect nasal swabs from employees, the lab spokesperson said Monday. Sandia contracted that service out. Los Alamos will process the tests on site in its new Covid-19 Diagnostic Testing Lab. The lab will report test results immediately to the New Mexico Health Department.
