CVS, Walgreens Among Companies Boosting Free CCP Virus Testing
CVS and Walgreens are ramping up free testing for the CCP virus outside of stores across the United ..
CVS and Walgreens are ramping up free testing for the CCP virus outside of stores across the United States, as are some other companies.
CVS will, starting next month, offer self-swab tests to people who meet criteria laid out by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The new, free testing will take place at up to 1,000 locations by the end of May, according to the company. CVS has been testing about 1,000 people a day across Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Georgia, and Michigan.
People who meet the criteria will make appointments online and visit a CVS location at a designated time, where the testing will take place in a parking lot or in a drive-through lane.
CVS hopes to test about 35,000 people a week, Larry Merlo, CVS CEO, told reporters at the White House on Monday.
Walgreens, meanwhile, has been testing at drive-throughs in 11 states, including Texas, Arizona, and Florida. The company earlier Monday said it plans to expand to 49 states and Puerto Rico and expects to test more than 50,000 people each week.
Richard Ashworth, who oversees Walgreens in the United States, said the company will be able to triple the volume done now in the coming weeks.
“Were really excited with the public-private partnership that we have here, because thats whats enabling us to do this, and we look forward to working with the additional states to get these sites up and running as fast as possible,” he said at the press conference.
Walmart, which started free drive-through testing in some locations in March, said it will expand from 20 sites across 11 states to more than 100 locations by the next of next month. The company has tested nearly 13,000 people so far and plans on doing 20,000 tests a week.
“Imagine going online, scheduling a test through our lab partners, pulling up to your local Walmart at your scheduled time, parking in your assigned spot, and having our pharmacist greet you. You take a nasal or saliva test while you remain in the car, and the test is sent to the lab for processing,” Dan Bartlett, Walmart Executive Vice President of Corporate Affairs, wrote in a blog post.
“For serology tests, perhaps you could even have your finger stuck by a pharmacist, similar to a test for blood glucose and cholesterol levels, to understand whether you have antibodies to the virus. We are working now on how we might make this a reality.”
Kroger, which has beRead More – Source
