On local TV: Walmart will have drive thru virus testing in parking lots.

[sinkingfeeling]

https://www.businessinsider.com/walmart-parking-lots-coronavirus-testing-stations-ceo-says-2020-3

I'm about 20 miles from Walmart Home Office.

[zackymilly]

1. Target is going to do it also. n/t

[Goodheart]

2. Sounds great but nobody asked WHEN.

Vaporware test kits.

[Miguelito Loveless]

3. How?

There are no test kits.

[pat_k]

5. public/private medical centers, labs.

Entities other than the CDC got the go ahead to start using their own laboratory developed tests (LDT's) with the FDA emergency use authorization (EUA) issued Feb 29.

The EUA permits entities to commence testing while their applications and submitted test information/data is reviewed by FDA (as opposed to waiting for approval).

This EUA should have been triggered as soon as HHS declared public health emergency on Jan 31.

Of course, HHS should have declared emergency sooner to trigger powers needed to get prepared for what we KNEW was coming.

So, basically, they screwed around for about 6 weeks before taking action that would enable testing capacity anywhere near to what was needed.

I don't know why other testing sites weren't/aren't ready to go. The University of Washington Medical Center infectious disease people got moving very quickly. Testing 400 in the first week. Report from yesterday "One lab at the University of Washington Medical Center ran more than 1,300 tests on Wednesday and may ramp up to 2,300 per day by Friday."

Every major medical center and private lab should be rolling by now. I don't know what the delay is.

[pat_k]

4. "only select locations at first and then scale up over time as the supply increases"

Walmart will begin hosting the drive-throughs in only select locations at first and then scale up over time as the supply increases, McMillon said.

They'll be hosting sites run by testing entities -- some mix of public medical centers, private labs, and CDC (expect a minuscule portion from them).

[milestogo]

6. I've heard that everything at Walmart comes from China.

[Liberal In Texas]

7. CVS and Walgreens too according to the article.

It's a step in the right direction.

[Liberal In Texas]

8. This should have happened yesterday. n/t