Walgreens Boots Alliance and CVS Health Corp open drive-thru coronavirus testing sites that offer the new diagnosis that can yield a positive result in just five minutes.
Both drugstore chains will use the test developed by Illinois-based Abbott Laboratories, praised by President Donald Trump.
CVS said it launched two sites that could handle 1,000 tests per day, while Walgreens says the 15 sites will run 3,000 per day.
Testing for COVID-19, the disease caused by the new virus, has been slow in the US due to a lack of test kits and other equipment.
While more than 436,000 people in America have tested positive for the virus, officials believe that there are too few cases due to a shortage of kits.
Walgreens opens 15 testing sites for coronavirus, including in states such as Arizona, Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Tennessee, and Texas. Pictured: A queue outside a Walgreens in Brooklyn, New York
CVS launches two locations, in Georgia and Rhode Island, with four more likely to follow. Pictured: people queuing at a CVS in the Bronx, New York, April 3
Both chains will use Abbott Laboratories’ new coronavirus test that can detect a positive result in just five minutes (above)
Testing, including on drive-thru sites like this, is also believed to be key in fighting the coronavirus pandemic, which has led to major company shutdowns and massive layoffs.
Abbott said one of the benefits of the test is that it can be used anywhere, including hospitals, emergency clinics, and even doctor’s offices.
“This is a big leap forward,” said John Frels, vice president of research and development at Abbott, in an interview with Reuters.
‘You can achieve a positive result within five minutes and a negative result within 13 minutes. You can walk into a clinic and literally get results while you are there. ‘
President Trump presented the new machine at a news conference last week and even did a small show-and-tell.
In the US, more than 436,000 of the virus have been confirmed and more than 15,000 killed
“This is the first on the line,” Trump said as he took the test out of the box and called it “very accurate.”
He explained that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Abbott’s new test in just four weeks, as opposed to the usual months timeline.
Walgreens says it is currently establishing centers to conduct the Abbott test Arizona, Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Tennessee, and Texas.
The chain said it is working with the United States Department of Health and Human Services to finalize the 15 locations in these states.
Meanwhile, CVS said the two test sites will be in Georgia at Georgia Tech University and in a Rhode Island casino, and up to four additional locations will open.
Testing for COVID-19, the disease caused by the new virus, has been slow in the US due to a lack of test kits and other equipment. Pictured: A man in a car is tested for coronavirus with a nasal swab in Melbourne, Florida, April 8
“We want to gain some experience with these sites and understand exactly how the volume looks,” CFS chief physician Troy Brennan told Reuters.
CVS will provide personnel from its MinuteClinic unit to guide the tests. States will provide security and protective equipment.
The tests are currently available to patients for free and are paid for by the federal government, CFS said.
Other major pharmacy chains, including Target Corp and Walmart Inc, have pledged in the past provide space for passages in their parking areas.
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