CVS Health Expands Testing Capabilities Amid Rise in COVID-19 Cases

RIVERSIDE (CNS) – CVS Health announced Thursday it is expanding its COVID- 19 no-cost testing program by adding 35 more test sites at select CVS Pharmacy drive-thrus across California, including three locations in Riverside County, amid a surge in new coronavirus cases. The opening of additional test sites on Friday adds to the 107 locations previously opened statewide, including 12 in Riverside County. The nearly 200 additional test sites opening across the country this week are among the more than 1,400 locations CVS Health has opened since May and expand the company’s testing capacity to more than 1.5 million tests per month, subject to availability of supplies and lab capacity, according to President and CEO Larry J. Merlo. Nearly 60% of the company’s 1,400 test sites across the country, including 81% of sites in California, are in counties that serve communities with the greatest need for support, as measured by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’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. Self-swab tests will be available to individuals meeting U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria, in addition to state and age guidelines. Patients must register in advance to schedule an appointment at https://www.cvs.com/minuteclinic/covid-19-testing. Patients will be required to stay in their cars and will be directed to the pharmacy drive-thru window or a location in the parking lot at a few stores, 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 about 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 testing sites opening Friday in Riverside County are located at the following CVS pharmacies: — 82-270 Highway 111, Indio; — 23791 Washington Ave., Murrieta; and — 1101 Hidden Valley Parkway, Norco. Previously opened Riverside County testing sites are located at CVS pharmacies at: — 84010 Avenue 50, Coachella; — 1299 E. Ontario Ave., Corona; — 2400 River Road, Corona; — 42150 A Jackson St., Indio; — 44075 Jefferson St., La Quinta; — 23743 Jackson Ave., Murrieta; — 425 S. Sunrise Way, Palm Springs; — 6840 Lincoln Ave., Riverside; — 102 S. Sanderson Road, San Jacinto; — 31771 Rancho California Road, Temecula; — 14220 Schleisman Road, Eastvale; and — 491 East Alessandro Blvd., Riverside.