Public and private sectors are working together to mobilize massive effort to battle coronavirus pandemic
Across the nation, the majority of emergency medical services (EMS) organizations have engaged in community-wide efforts to respond to the coronavirus pandemic. The President has declared a national emergency stating, "We are announcing a new partnership with the private sector to vastly increase and accelerate our capacity to test for the coronavirus."
In the coming weeks, Walgreens, CVS Health, Walmart and Target said they will start providing coronavirus disease (COVID-19) testing in their parking lots. As more and more drive-through COVID-19 testing sites pop up across the United States, it is still a challenge for the federal, state, and local governments to organize this incredible challenge.
In a Reuters post this week, Admiral Brett Giroir of the U.S. Public Health Commission told reporters in Washington that drive-through test centers were “blossoming all over the country.”
The U.S. Public Health Commission stated that it is pushing equipment to 47 centers in over a dozen states after a trial run this week with public health staff in protective gear. About 140 U.S. public health staff will be deployed to the sites along with state health workers.
While states and FEMA are writing more specific directives, further guidance to support communities in prevention, response, and recovery is in the final stages, including fiscal support. Local emergency response teams can obtain economic support through the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) Public Assistance Grant Program.
Are you deciding whether to visit a drive-through COVID-19 testing site? Here's a step-by-step look at what to expect when you get there from USA Today.
How long should you expect to wait for test results? Anywhere from 24-48 hours; however, there are new tests in development that could speed this up to 15 minutes.
See below for essential links to federal government agencies and a list of current U.S. cities, counties, and states where drive-through COVID-19 testing is available. (As this is a very dynamic situation, information may change.).
See The President's Coronavirus Guidelines for America
Federal Agency Emergency Response Network Links:
- Federal Agencies Responding to Coronavirus (COVID-19)
- USA.Gov
- Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
- US Dept. of Veterans Affairs (VA.Gov)
- Dept. of Homeland Security (DHS.Gov)
- Center for Disease Control (CDC)
- Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)
- World Health Organization (WHO)
- IRS.Gov
- StudentAid.Gov
- HUD.Gov
- Medicaid.Gov
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
States with Drive-Through Sites (as of 3/21):
- Alabama
- Anchorage, Alaska
- Phoenix, Arizona
- California
- Connecticut
- West Palm Beach, Florida
- Hawaii
- Chicago, Illinois
- Massachusetts
- Baltimore, Maryland
- Rochester, Minnesota
- St. Louis, Missouri
- Omaha, Nebraska
- Reno, Nevada
- Cleveland, Ohio
- Douglas County, Oregon
- New Jersey
- Albuquerque, New Mexico
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- New York
- North Carolina
- Cleveland, Ohio
- Pennsylvania
- Memphis, Tennessee
- Northern Texas
- San Antonio, Texas
- Spokane, Washington
- Seattle, Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
International Drive-Through Sites:
State Departments of Public Health for All 50 States
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- West Virginia
- Washington
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Here to Help with Secure, Rapid-Deploy Networks for COVID-19 Response
If you are a part of the 3 million healthcare, fire, and EMS professionals in the U.S., we have rapid response solutions to support your organization or agency.
Visit our Pop-Up Networks page to learn about connecting temporary sites.