Walgreens, CVS Limit COVID-19 Tests In PA As Demand Explodes

PENNSYLVANIA — As case rates remain high in Pennsylvania and demand for tests increases heading into the holidays, Walgreens, Walmart, and CVS are limiting the number of COVID-19 tests customers can purchase at one time.

Walgreens issued their limits first, allowing customers to purchase four take-home tests at a time. The policy applies online and in stores. The chain is hoping the purchase limit will improve inventory, and said it will continue to work with supplier partners to meet customer demands.

CVS then announced its own limitations on at-home tests, allowing customers to purchase five at a time. According to CNN, Amazon (10 per customer) and Walmart (eight per online customer) also issued their own COVID-19 test kit limits for customers this week.

Walmart, meanwhile has limited tests to four per customer.

The restrictions come as the omicron variant became the dominant variant in Pennsylvania and the surrounding region this week, with Centers for Disease Control statistics indicating that 75 percent of all new cases are caused by the potentially more contagious variant.

The total number of individuals hospitalized statewide stayed at about the same level as last week, according to the latest statistics, dropping 0.3 percent.

The total number of available adult ICU beds increased very slightly, from 14 to 14.4 percent, while the available pediatric ICU beds dropped again from 10.3 to 8 percent.

Officials urged vaccinations as the most important line of defense.

"We need all eligible residents to get vaccinated and get boosted to stop the spread of variants that are pushing health care workers to their limit," Pennsylvania's new Acting Secretary of Health Keara Klinepeter said on Tuesday.

Gov. Tom Wolf has request emergency aid from the federal government and FEMA to assist with both manpower and supplies in the COVID-19 response.

Retail Tests

"With heightened demand for COVID vaccines, testing and other services, in addition to the busy holiday season, our pharmacy and store team members are working incredibly hard every day. We ask that our customers please show patience and understanding as together, we continue to navigate the evolving pandemic environment," said John Standley, Walgreens president.

Walgreens said its pharmacy team members have administered nearly 55 million COVID-19 vaccines and more than 22 million COVID-19 tests across the United States. COVID-19 vaccinations and boosters are available in Walgreens stores across the country, and the company operates more than 7,200 COVID-19 testing locations.

Walgreens anticipate 24- to 48-hour turnaround time for COVID-19 PCR test results. Rapid point-of-care tests are also available and results will continue to be available in less than 24 hours, according to the company.

With reporting from Patch correspondent Chris Mosby