After being in conversation with President Donald Trump about drive-thru testing sites for COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, several private-sector retailers have begun opening testing sites, including CVS Heath (NYSE: CVS), Walgreens (NASDAQ: WBA), Rite Aid (NYSE: RAD), and Walmart (NYSE: WMT).
"We've been in discussions with pharmacies and retailers to make drive-thru tests available in the critical locations identified by public-health officials," said President Donald Trump in a recent news conference. "The goal is for individuals to be able to drive up and be swabbed without having to leave your car."
However, as of March 28, only five drive-thru parking lot sites have opened so far between the retailers: three in the Chicago area (two at Walmarts and one at a Walgreens), one at a CVS in central Massachusetts, and one at a Rite-Aid in Philadelphia.
Target (NYSE: TGT) has also been part of discussions with the White House, although the company hasn't opened any COVID-19 testing sites yet.
According to Target's corporate website, since partnering with the government they "continue to work with state and local officials and task force partners to identify parking lot locations to serve as temporary testing sites." The company added, "We stand committed to offering our parking lot locations and supporting their efforts when they are ready to activate."
At this point, rather than relying solely on private retail locations, the majority of COVID-19 testing sites have popped up across the country in parking lots of various other establishments and institutions, including hospitals, universities, and even stadiums.
One such drive-thru location is in Miami in the Hard Rock Stadium parking lot, home of the Miami Dolphins. At that location, people over age 65 with COVID-19 symptoms, first responders, and healthcare workers are able to be tested without having an appointment.
ProHEALTH, an independent group of doctors and healthcare providers, has opened drive-thru sites throughout New York, which require an appointment.
According to Dr. Bonnie Simmons, urgent care medical director at ProHEALTH, her experiences serving COVID-19 patients have been unprecedented.
"I've been doing emergency medicine my entire life for almost 30 years," Simmons said. "In my career I didn't think I'd have that many firsts. But this is new terrain. Every minute people are looking to me for all the answers. I go home just thinking I hope to continue to have enough answers. That's what keeps me up at night--am I going to have enough answers to protect my staff and take the best care of our patients?"
As of March 27, other states with drive-thru COVID-19 testing sites include Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Washington.