Testing New Mexicans for COVID-19

May 8, 2020 – Senior producer Matt Grubs takes a close look at the state’s COVID-19 testing capability with Sec. Kathyleen Kunkel of the New Mexico Department of Health. New Mexico has the capacity to test more than 5,000 people a day, but routinely falls thousands of tests short of that mark. While the back end of testing (lab work) usually has available capacity, it’s the swabbing and collection on the front end that often lacks the needed workforce. With Gov. Lujan Grisham’s new goal of testing 7,500 people a day, the Health Department’s testing team must continuously adjust to maximize effectiveness. 

Correspondent:
Matt Grubs 

Guest: 
Cabinet Secretary Kathyleen Kunkel, New Mexico Department of Health 

This story is part of a collaboration with FRONTLINE, the PBS series, through its Local Journalism Initiative, which is funded by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.