WOONSOCKET, R.I., May 21, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Building on the company's comprehensive efforts to help slow the spread of the virus, on Friday, May 22 CVS Health (NYSE: CVS) will open 44 new COVID-19 test sites at select CVS Pharmacy drive-thru locations across Texas. The opening of additional test sites across the state and country will be announced by the end of the month.
A new COVID-19 testing site at a CVS Pharmacy drive-thru location, part of the company's plan to have up to 1,000 testing sites operational across the country by the end of May.
A CVS Pharmacy technician observes a patient administer a self-swab COVID-19 test at one of the company's drive-thru testing locations throughout the country. Photo Courtesy CVS Health
A patient administers a self-swab COVID-19 test at a CVS Pharmacy drive-thru testing site, one of a thousand locations the company plans to operate around the country by the end of May. Photo Courtesy CVS Health
A patient completes a self-swab COVID-19 test at a CVS Pharmacy drive-thru testing site, one of a thousand locations the company plans to operate around the country by the end of May.
Photo Courtesy CVS Health
These new sites will utilize self-swab tests and mark the next phase of the company's nationwide COVID-19 testing strategy, announced April 27. CVS Health expects to have up to 1,000 locations across the country offering this service by the end of May, with the goal of processing up to 1.5 million tests per month, subject to availability of supplies and lab capacity. The 44 test sites in Texas are part of nearly 350 locations across 14 states including Arizona, California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Texas.
"While the large-scale test sites we've been operating since early April have proven successful, this new approach allows us to utilize our presence in communities across the country and bring testing closer to home," said Larry J. Merlo, President and CEO, CVS Health. "Our frontline employees will continue to play a critical role in the testing process, with members of their communities directly benefitting from their dedication and selflessness."
Once fully operational, more than half of the company's 1,000 test sites will serve communities with the greatest need for support, as measured by the CDC's Social Vulnerability Index. The index tracks a variety of census variables including poverty, lack of access to transportation, and crowded housing that may weaken a community's ability to prepare for and recover from hazardous events like natural disasters and disease outbreaks.
Self-swab tests will be available to individuals meeting Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria, in addition to age guidelines. Patients must register in advance at CVS.com beginning Friday, May 22 to schedule an appointment. Patients will be required to stay in their cars and directed to the pharmacy drive-thru window where they will be provided with a test kit and given instructions, and a CVS Pharmacy team member will observe the self swab process to ensure it is done properly. Tests will be sent to an independent, third-party lab for processing and the results will be available in approximately three days.
Testing will not take place inside any retail locations, and CVS Pharmacy, HealthHUB and MinuteClinic will continue to serve customers and patients.
The new testing sites in Texas include:
CVS Pharmacy, 5526 South Congress Avenue, Austin, TX 78745
CVS Pharmacy, 2610 Lake Austin Boulevard, Austin, TX 78703
CVS Pharmacy, 11300 North Lamar Boulevard, Austin, TX 78753
CVS Pharmacy, 11725 North FM 620, Austin, TX 78750
CVS Pharmacy, 3500 West Slaughter Lane, Austin, TX 78749
CVS Pharmacy, 2950 North Dowlen Road, Beaumont, TX 77706
CVS Pharmacy, 4100 State Highway 121, Carrollton, TX 75010
CVS Pharmacy, 6915 West Avenue, Castle Hills, TX 78213
CVS Pharmacy, 825 South Crowley Road, Crowley, TX 76036
CVS Pharmacy, 8754 Spring Cypress Road, Spring, TX 77379
A complete list of CVS Pharmacy Drive-thru test sites can be found here.
More information on steps CVS Health has taken to address the COVID-19 pandemic, including support for health care providers and clinicians facing financial and administrative strain, is available at the company's frequently updated COVID-19 resource center.
For downloadable COVID-19 testing media assets, including photos, video and interviews with CVS Health executives, please visit the Media Resource Center.
About CVS Health CVS Health employees are united around a common goal of becoming the most consumer-centric health company in the world. We're evolving based on changing consumer needs and meeting people where they are, whether that's in the community at one of our nearly 10,000 local touchpoints, in the home, or in the palm of their hand. Our newest offerings – from HealthHUB® locations that are redefining what a pharmacy can be, to innovative programs that help manage chronic conditions – are designed to create a higher-quality, simpler and more affordable experience. Learn more about how we're transforming health at https://www.cvshealth.com.
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