COVID-19 Severly Impacting Blood Supply, Vitalant Needs Donations

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, blood donations have been on the decline and now our community is facing a severe blood shortage. Here's how you can help.

The COVID-19 pandemic has health officials telling people to "social distance" and "self quarantine" away from others. These recommendations have left many cancelling plans they may have had, and that includes donating blood. Currently Vitalant, our regions blood bank, has 30% less blood donations than they normally do this time of year. That number is continuing to increase every day. Vitalant is now struggling to keep their inventory and are asking the public to do their part and help by donating blood.

To help the public find a time that works for them to come down and donate blood, Vitalant has extended their hours in their West Texas and New Mexico centers. Centers will be open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. If you are healthy and not feeling sick and would like to donate blood, please call 877-25-VITAL or book online at bloodhero.com. To make your appointment even faster, you can use FastTrak to answer the questionnaire before arriving to your appointment.

There are three Vitalant locations in the Borderland you can go donate at: