How a local health center is handling migrants and COVID-19

Despite an increased presence at the border, one center is still dealing with the same amount of immigrants, all while providing plenty of COVID-19 resources - 13 On Your Side's Luis Lopez reports

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - The Regional Center For Border Health has been a local leader when it comes to migrant health, providing migrants with COVID-19 tests, vaccines and even transportation.

The center began to provide the resources about a year ago, all to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 locally.

Alex Bejarano, the center's public relations director, says that they're taking on the challenge to help our local community.

“We’re open, we’re here to serve, and we want our community to be protected, we want our businesses to stay open, and we’ll provide as much support as possible to help do that,” Bejarano shared.

Right now the center says it’s taking in about 150 migrants a day, which is their typical number, even with the recent increased presence at the border. Among those 150, there’s only about a 2% COVID-19 positivity rate.

“They are all required to wear their masks, and they’re all protected with masks as well when they’re in detention with border patrol and with ice, and nothing changes when we receive them, we give them the test, if any of them do come out positive, because it is a rapid test, we do test them twice just to be safe,” he added.

Despite the increased migrant presence at the border, the center says it has been able to operate without any issues.