10 More Drive-Thru COVID-19 Test Sites Open In Riverside County

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA—CVS Health will expand its COVID-19 no-cost testing program Friday by adding 91 more test sites at select CVS Pharmacy drive-thru locations across California, including 10 in Riverside County.

The opening of the additional test sites adds to the 14 locations opened in California on May 22, including two Riverside County locations. The company late last month committed to establish 1,000 locations across the country by the end of May, with a goal of processing up to 1.5 million tests per month, subject to availability of supplies and lab capacity,according to CVS Health President and CEO Larry J. Merlo.

More than half of the company's 1,000 test sites will serve communities with the greatest need for support, as measured by the CDC's Social Vulnerability Index, he said. 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 at CVS.com beginning Friday to schedule an appointment.

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, Health HUB and Minute Clinic will continue to serve customers and patients. The additional new testing sites in Riverside County are located at the following CVS pharmacies:

-- 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.

The sites that opened on May 22 are located at CVS pharmacies at:

-- 14220 Schleisman Road, Eastvale; and

-- 491 East Alessandro Blvd., Riverside

— By City News Service