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 17 new COVID-19 test sites at select CVS Pharmacy drive-thru locations across Maryland. 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 17 test sites in Maryland 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.
"Following our announcement this week that Maryland has reached a critical milestone in its long-term COVID-19 testing strategy by dramatically expanding the availability of testing for residents, these new, additional sites are another important step to further increase testing access for communities across Maryland," said Governor Larry Hogan. "We will continue working closely with CVS Health and all of our partners in the private sector, along with Maryland's world-class health care systems, and local governments to protect residents' health and safety and support our state's safe and gradual recovery."
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 Maryland include:
CVS Pharmacy, 2560 West Franklin Street, Baltimore, MD 21223
CVS Pharmacy, 9519 Philadelphia Road, Baltimore, MD 21237
CVS Pharmacy, 157 Ritchie Highway, Severna Park, MD 21146
CVS Pharmacy, 5100 Brown Station Road, Upper Marlboro, MD 20772
CVS Pharmacy, 7600 SE Crain Highway, Upper Marlboro, MD 20772
CVS Pharmacy, 4200 Altamont Place, White Plains, MD 20695
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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