After a limited launch in late August, Hy-Vee has rolled out free COVID-19 testing to more than 150 pharmacy locations across its eight-state Midwestern market area.
Each pharmacy can test up to 12 patients per hour, Hy-Vee said yesterday. The West Des Moines, Iowa-based grocer initially offered drive-up coronavirus testing at 11 in-store and stand-alone pharmacies in Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska and South Dakota. The expansion brings the tests to pharmacy locations in Illinois, Kansas and Wisconsin.
To get a COVID test from Hy-Vee, customers must first register online to receive a test voucher number, at which time they also will be given a specific testing site and an appointment time. Individuals don’t need to have COVID-19 symptoms to be tested, the retailer noted.
Hy-Vee’s COVID-19 tests are coordinated by eTrueNorth. At the test site, patients provide a printed voucher number or show the voucher number on their smartphone. Next, they receive a self-administered nasal swab test kit from a Hy-Vee pharmacy employee, who explains how to perform the test and supervises the process. The patient then drops the completed test kit in a collection bin.
The testing takes about five minutes, Hy-Vee said. Upon collecting all the tests, the Hy-Vee pharmacies ship them to a lab via UPS. Results are delivered via email in three to five business days.
Adults and children ages 3 and older are eligible to get tested for COVID-19 at the Hy-Vee pharmacy locations. Each site is offering testing windows on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday mornings, with test hours varying by location.
Overall, Hy-Vee operates more than 275 stores in Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wisconsin.
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