May 28, 2020   SOURCE: PR NewsWire

CVS Health Opens 11 New Drive-Thru Test Sites in Oklahoma as Part of Nationwide COVID-19 Response

WOONSOCKET, R.I., May 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Building on the company's comprehensive efforts to help slow the spread of the virus, on Friday, May 29 CVS Health (NYSE: CVS) will open 11 new COVID-19 test sites at select CVS Pharmacy drive-thru locations across Oklahoma.

These new sites will utilize self-swab tests and deliver on the company's commitment to establish 1,000 locations across the country by the end of May as originally announced on April 27. These new test sites help enable a goal of processing up to 1.5 million tests per month, subject to availability of supplies and lab capacity.

"CVS Health has been at the forefront of helping our nation scale-up COVID-19 testing capabilities, and we're proud to meet our goal of establishing 1,000 testing sites in communities across the country," said Larry J. Merlo, President and CEO, CVS Health. "Opening access to testing in more locations using our drive-thru window represents an important milestone in our response to the pandemic. We remain grateful for the daily efforts and sacrifices of our front-line colleagues who make the continued expansion of our testing possible."

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. 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 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria, in addition to state and age guidelines. Patients must register in advance at CVS.com beginning Friday, May 29 to schedule an appointment. Patients will be required to stay in their cars and will be directed to the pharmacy drive-thru window, 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 approximately three days.

Testing will not take place inside any retail locations, and CVS Pharmacy, HealthHUB and MinuteClinic will continue to serve customers and patients.

The new testing sites in Oklahoma include:

    --  CVS Pharmacy, 751 West Tucson Street, Broken Arrow, OK 74011
    --  CVS Pharmacy, 2351 N. 9th Street, Broken Arrow, OK 74012
    --  CVS Pharmacy, 1301 North Santa Fe Avenue, Edmond, OK 73099
    --  CVS Pharmacy, 1520 South Bryant Avenue, Edmond OK 73013
    --  CVS Pharmacy, 3651 West Robinson Street, Norman, OK 73072
    --  CVS Pharmacy, 12301 North May Avenue, Oklahoma City, OK 73120
    --  CVS Pharmacy, 2323 North Martin Luther King, Oklahoma City, OK 73111
    --  CVS Pharmacy, 2100 SW 119th Street, Oklahoma City, OK 73170
    --  CVS Pharmacy, 9401 North Pennsylvania Ave., The Village, OK 73120
    --  CVS Pharmacy, 4107 South Harvard Ave., Tulsa, OK 74105
    --  CVS Pharmacy, 8010 East 51st Street, Tulsa, OK 74145

A complete list of CVS Pharmacy drive-thru test sites can be found here.

More information on steps CVS Health has taken to address the COVID-19 pandemic, including support for health care providers and clinicians facing financial and administrative strain, is available at the company's frequently updated COVID-19 resource center.

For downloadable COVID-19 testing media assets, including photos, video and interviews with CVS Health executives, please visit the Media Resource Center.

About CVS Health
CVS Health employees are united around a common goal of becoming the most consumer-centric health company in the world. We're evolving based on changing consumer needs and meeting people where they are, whether that's in the community at one of our nearly 10,000 local touchpoints, in the home, or in the palm of their hand. Our newest offerings - from HealthHUB(®) locations that are redefining what a pharmacy can be, to innovative programs that help manage chronic conditions - are designed to create a higher-quality, simpler and more affordable experience. Learn more about how we're transforming health at https://www.cvshealth.com.

Media Contact
Monica Prinzing, (831) 241-8294
PrinzingM@Aetna.com

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SOURCE CVS Health