CVS opening 'self-swab' test sites in Florida

CVS Health has announced plans to open “self-swab” COVID-19 test centers – and we will be among the first to get them.

The company’s goal is to start with 50 test sites at certain CVS Pharmacy drive-through locations in Florida, Arizona, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania. Then it expects to add more than 900 centers elsewhere by the end of May.

What does this mean for us? Well, the new centers will allow people to administer the tests themselves – provided they meet Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria and age guidelines.

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Here’s how it will work:

First, patients must register in advance at CVS.com to schedule an appointment.
Once at the location, patients must head to the drive-through window – and remain in their cars – to receive a test kit and instructions.
A CVS Pharmacy team member will observe the self-swab process to ensure it is done properly.
An independent, third-party lab will process the tests and send the results in about three days.

Please note: Testing will not take place inside the retail locations.

CVS previously had rapid-test sites where employees conducted the swabs, but they were not available in Florida – only in Connecticut, Georgia, Massachusetts, Michigan and Rhode Island.

“While the large-scale test sites we’ve been operating since early April have proven successful, this new approach allows us to utilize our presence in communities across the country and bring testing closer to home,” said CVS Health President and CEO Larry J. Merlo, in a statement. “Our front-line employees will continue to play a critical role in the testing process, with members of their communities directly benefiting from their dedication and selflessness.”

For more information on these testing centers, click here.

For CVS’ resource center, click here.