CVS offering rapid COVID-19 tests at seven valley locations
YOUNGSTOWN - CVS Health has expanded COVID-19 testing services with plans to add nearly 1,000 rapid-result test sites at select CVS Pharmacy locations, including seven in the Valley.
Rapid-result COVID-19 diagnostic tests are available at no cost to patients who meet the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria. In addition, rapid-result tests may also be available as a testing option for eligible employees or students affiliated with an organization that has adopted CVS Health's Return Ready™ return-to-work COVID-19 testing solution.
To date, CVS Health has administered more than 5 million COVID-19 tests since March and currently manages more than 4,000 drive-thru test sites at CVS Pharmacy locations in 33 states and Washington, D.C. Most results from these existing test sites are generally available within 2 to 3 days.
The company is adapting some of these sites and adding new locations to be able to deliver rapid results at nearly 1,000 sites by the end of the year. Nearly 100 of these rapid-result test sites will be operational this week.
Nearly 100 of the planned rapid-result test sites will be operational at select CVS Pharmacy locations in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and 20 other states as of this week.
CVS Pharmacy locations offering COVID-19 tests in the Valley may be seen below:
- Hubbard - 34 Youngstown-Hubbard Road
- Niles - 1331 Youngstown - Warren Road
- Warren - 3933 Parkman Road NW
- Warren - 620 East Market Street
- Boardman - 7230 Market Street
- New Castle - 734 East Washington Street
- New Castle - 1803 Wilmington Road
Patients must register in advance at CVS.com to schedule an appointment. You must be tested in the state where you are a resident.
Testing is also available for patients ages 12 to 17; a parent or legal guardian must complete the online registration and must accompany minors ages 15 and younger for testing.
When arriving for testing, patients are asked to follow signage or the instructions of the staff onsite. Procedures vary by location and patients may be directed to stay in their vehicle and proceed to a designated testing structure located in the parking lot or, in very limited locations, to enter a CVS store through a doorway specifically allocated for this purpose. Patients will be provided with a test kit, given instructions, and a CVS Health team member will observe the self-swab process. Patients will be directed to wait outside the store in their vehicle for results. The process, from the collection of the swab to the delivery of the results, will generally take approximately 30 minutes.
Patients who access rapid-result testing and receive a negative COVID-19 result will have the opportunity to schedule an appointment at the on-site MinuteClinic for further assessment and to determine if a rapid-result test for flu and strep would be appropriate. The MinuteClinic provider will then be able to provide counsel on a treatment plan and prescribe medications if clinically appropriate.
