RI Offering Rapid Coronavirus Tests With CVS

Rachel Nunes
Updated ·2 min read

LINCOLN, RI — Rhode Island is now offering rapid testing for the new coronavirus, thanks to a partnership with CVS Health. The free tests will be given by appointment only at a new drive-thru testing site at Twin River Casino in Lincoln.

The site can administer up to 1,000 tests per day, doubling the state's current capacity, Gov. Gina Raimondo's office said Monday.

"Today marks a giant leap forward in our efforts to combat this virus," Raimondo said. "Thanks to the partnership and generosity of CVS Health, we will be able to double our testing capacity and provide on-the-spot results to thousands of Rhode Islanders each day. Making testing rapid and readily available is the key to slowly reopening our economy, and today we are one step closer to that goal."

The tests will be administered by CVS MinuteClinic staff. Rhode Island and Georgia are the first states in the country to partner with the Woonsocket-based pharmacy giant for the coronavirus testing.

"Our MinuteClinic providers join countless other heroic health care professionals across the country and around the world in forming the first line of defense against this devastating virus," Dr. Troyen Brennan, CVS's chief medical officer, said. "Thanks to our partnerships with state officials and the utilization of advanced technology, our providers will be able to test large numbers of people in these states and make real-time decisions about treatment and appropriate next steps."

The company is using information gathered from its testing site in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, to maximize efficiency at the Lincoln site. This includes using a large parking lot to allow for several lanes of vehicles to be tested and allowing patient to pre-register online, the company said. No tests will be administered at CVS Pharmacy stores or MinuteClinic locations.

The new test, called the Abbott ID NOW, is the fastest available, delivering positive tests in as few as five minutes. Negative tests will take about 13 minutes.

"CVS Health is uniquely positioned to play a vital role in helping support both local communities and the overall health care system in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic," Dr. Brennan said. "Our ability to help coordinate the availability of rapid COVID-19 testing for Rhode Island citizens will bolster the state’s efforts to manage the spread of the virus and provide people with on-the-spot test results."

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This article originally appeared on the Woonsocket Patch