MCALLEN – According to a Rio Grande Valley blood bank, the local blood supply is running low.

Officials remind the public, COVID-19 cannot be transmitted through blood.

“We don’t see sick people. You can only donate if you are healthy, so the people donating are healthy people who are not sick in any way. You can’t even have the common cold in order to donate blood, just to reduce any risk, even without COVID,” said Bryan Sandoval, a recruitment specialist at Vitalant.

Sandoval says the blood bank is taking extra precautions by sanitizing areas and screening donors.

Anyone interested in donating blood can attend a blood drive set for Wednesday and Thursday outside of Weslaco City Hall.