Walmart opens third testing site - NWAOnline

Walmart Inc. opened a third drive-thru covid-19 testing site Friday and plans to expand the number of sites in Supercenter parking lots next week, company spokeswoman Marilee McInnis said.

The new testing site is in Shreveport, and a fourth will open Monday in the New Orleans metro area community of LaPlace, La., McInnis said. The retailer has set a goal of operating more than 20 sites in more than 10 states by the end of April, she said.

"We are working closely with Quest Diagnostics, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and several states to open sites in areas of need," McInnis said. "We have been learning a lot from our initial sites so we can get the model right and are working hard to help expand testing in areas of need as quickly as possible."

Walmart opened a pilot testing site March 22 in Joliet, Ill., and another in Bentonville this week. Both sites tested only first responders and health care workers, as well as people 65 and older with underlying health conditions. It is unclear whether testing at the new sites will be available to the general public.

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Del Sloneker, chief operating officer for Walmart U.S. health and wellness, said in a recent blog post that the testing sites are staffed by HHS workers as well as the retailer's own pharmacists who have volunteered to help.

Walmart was one of four companies that told President Donald Trump in March that they would work with the federal government to offer drive-thru coronavirus testing in their parking lots. These sites supplement testing being conducted by hospitals and state governments.

Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc., which opened its first testing site March 22 in the Chicago area, said Tuesday that it would open another 15 locations in seven states within the week. Walgreens President Richard Ashworth said in a news release that the pilot site "allowed us to quickly learn and develop an efficient and scalable process."

CVS Health opened two new sites Monday in Atlanta and Rhode Island, according to a news release. The pharmacy chain, based in Rhode Island, opened its model site March 19 in Shrewsbury, Mass. That site was moved Tuesday to a larger location in Lowell, Mass. More sites may be added in April and May, the company said.

Dr. Troyen Brennan, chief medical officer at CVS, said in the release that through partnerships with state officials and the use of advanced technology, "our providers will be able to test large numbers of people in these states and make real-time decisions about treatment and appropriate next steps."

Target Corp. has yet to open a testing site despite its pledge to do so. The Minneapolis-based retailer said on its website that federal, state and local officials "continue to lead the planning for additional testing sites. We stand committed to offering our parking lot locations and supporting their efforts when they are ready to activate."

The covid-19 test involves collecting nasal swabs from patients. The samples are then sent to a lab for analysis. This is different from screening, which is used to determine whether people meet the testing criteria set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Metro on 04/11/2020

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