VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — The drugstore, Rite Aid, is offering its own free self-swab COVID-19 testing at several locations across the country starting on Wednesday.
The coronavirus tests are only available at one Rite Aid location in Hampton Roads. The location is in Virginia Beach off Upton Drive, near the Red Mill Commons Shopping Center.
“We are happy and excited to be able to fill that need for our patients, and fill that role in the community as a provider,” explained Rite Aid Clinical Manager Chris Altman.
The tests will be completed outside in the parking lot every day from 9 a.m. through 5 p.m. Altman said pharmacists can test about 200 people a day.
“From the supply standard, we have a nice healthy supply to actually do the testing, and we have worked with our lab partners to make sure they have the capacity to analyze the results and get them out," Altman said. "We are looking at a 2- to 7-day window to get those results out."
If you believe you have COVID-19, and want to be tested, Altman said patients need to pre-register on Rite Aid’s website. You must sign-up before 1 p.m. the day before you would like to be tested.
Altman said people never get out of their vehicles while getting tested. A pharmacist will show you how to conduct the test from a distance of six feet. He said it only takes a few minutes to complete.
“It just goes inside the nostril,” Altman said. “The person will spin the swab twice just to get it coated. Hold it for 15 seconds, pull it out and repeat the same process in the other nostril. Then you break the swab off and put it into a vile that has saline in it.”
The plan is to have the COVID-19 testing available for a couple of weeks. Altman said there is no plan to expand to other Rite Aid locations in Hampton Roads at this time.