Rite Aid will add drive-up coronavirus testing locations in Delaware.
Working in coordination with the Department of Health and Social Services, the company expects to have additional drive-up COVID-19 testing locations opening in the near future at stores in Idaho, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, as well as Delaware.
New locations opened this week in New York, New Jersey, Michigan and Ohio, through its partnership with DHSS.
The sites expect to be able to conduct approximately 200 tests each day through online appointments.
No timetable or possible sites for the tests was mentioned.
The state’s largest drug store chain, Walgreens, has not announced drive-up testing sites in Delaware and did not respond to a previous request for comment.
Delaware officials say a sharp expansion in testing is needed before Delaware can phase out current restrictions. About 14,000 people have been tested in the state, about one and a half percent of the total population
The Trump administration has pointed to drive-up sites as a way to sharply increase testing.
Current standards require an order from a physician. Some in healthcare have pressed for testing people not exhibiting symptoms or those who have recovered from the virus.
There is concern that having COVID-19 does not automatically lead to immunity and the supply of test kits remains limited.
Detroit, a city that has been battling an outbreak of COVID-19 is starting to test essential workers, including those with no symptoms.
All Rite Aid drive-up COVID-19 testing locations will use self-swab nasal tests overseen by Rite Aid pharmacists. Testing eligibility is based on guidelines established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which can be found here.
The testing will take place in each store’s parking lot. As part of the testing process, people must remain in their vehicles from the time they arrive and until they depart.
Testing will be available at no cost to eligible individuals who meet criteria established by the CDC. Patients are required to provide government issued identification, be at least 18 years old and need to pre-register online at www.riteaid.com in order to schedule a time slot for testing.
Rite Aid has partnered with Verily and will use its Baseline COVID-19 Program to provide screening, scheduling, and return of results to participants for Rite-Aid testing sites.
Rite Aid also selected BioReference Laboratories to provide COVID-19 laboratory testing to all drive-up locations with the goal of flattening the curve through accessible diagnostic testing.
