Walgreens to Expand Drive-Through Covid-19 Testing to 15 New Sites in Seven States

By Michael Dabaie

Walgreens said Tuesday it is working to expand drive-through Covid-19 testing to 15 new sites in seven states.

The drugstore chain said the states are Arizona, Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Tennessee and Texas. Walgreens has been offering drive-thru testing in Chicago since March 21.

The new testing sites will use Abbott's ID NOW Covid-19 test, which can deliver positive results in five minutes and negative results within 13 minutes.

Walgreens said it is finalizing the 15 locations in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Walgreens plans to be able to test up to 3,000 people per day across these additional sites, which are expected to be activated beginning later this week.

Walgreens will dedicate temporary space at some locations, outside of the stores, where Walgreens pharmacists will oversee the self-administration of the Covid-19 test. Soon, patients will be directed to testing locations via an online assessment tool that will be available on Walgreens.com and Walgreens mobile app, the company said.

Testing will be available at no cost to eligible individuals who meet criteria established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Patients will need to pre-register in advance in order to schedule an appointment for testing.

Write to Michael Dabaie at [e-mail]

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

April 07, 2020 08:45 ET (12:45 GMT)

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