Beginning Friday, CVS Health will open 39 new COVID-19 testing sites at drive-thru locations across Virginia.
Seven of the CVS Pharmacy sites, which will utilize self-swab tests, will be in the Richmond area, with appointments available by signing up online at CVS.com starting Friday.
“Opening access to testing in more locations using our drive-thru window represents an important milestone in our response to the pandemic,” said Larry J. Merlo, president and CEO of CVS Health, in a news release.
CVS set a goal to establish 1,000 testing locations across the country by the end of May, and the company said the 39 Virginia sites will help their mission of processing up to 1.5 million tests per month.
According to CVS, more than half of their national testing sites will serve communities with the greatest need for support, including those living in poverty, crowded housing and with a lack of access to transportation.
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“If you’re worried you may have COVID-19, you should be able to get tested,” Gov. Ralph Northam said in the release. “I appreciate CVS stepping up to help more Virginians get access to testing — at no cost, even if you don’t have insurance. These 39 sites are an important part of Virginia’s testing plan. They are in the community, they’re open seven days a week, and they are staffed by people you can trust.”
Patients who schedule an appointment online will be required to stay in their cars and will be directed to the pharmacy drive-thru window, where they will be provided with a test kit and given instructions, CVS Health said. 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, according to the release.