PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — CVS Health is opening 10 new drive-thru coronavirus testing sites at pharmacies in Rhode Island on Friday as part of its commitment to open 1,000 such sites nationwide.
The new sites will utilize self-swab tests that won’t require people to get out of their vehicles, according to the Woonsocket-based company. No testing will be done in the stores.
Patients, who must first make an appointment online, will be given a test kit and instructions at the drive-thru window. A qualified CVS employee will observe the test to ensure it is done properly. Tests will be sent to a third-party lab for processing, with results available in about three days.
The 10 new Rhode Island sites are at pharmacies in Cranston, East Greenwich, East Providence, Johnston, Narragansett, Providence, West Warwick and Westerly.
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UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS LAWSUIT
The American Civil Liberties Union of Rhode Island has sued the state Department of Labor and Training for freezing unemployment insurance benefit payments to hundreds of Rhode Islanders without notice or explanation.
The federal class-action suit filed Wednesday argues that failing to provide any sort of explanation for suspending benefits violates the constitutional and due process rights of the recipients.
The ACLU is asking a judge to permanently bar the state from halting payments without advance written notice and for the state to resume payments to those affected.
The state labor department previously said it was investigating thousands of possible fraudulent claims associated with the coronavirus pandemic, which has left more than 100,000 Rhode Islanders out of work.
A spokeswoman in a statement said the department has handled an unprecedented volume of claims related to the pandemic.
“Out of an abundance of caution, the department temporarily pauses payments on accounts associated with suspected fraudulent activity until an identity verification process can be completed,” Angelika Pelligrino said. “Individuals whose payments have been paused receive a phone call from the department.”
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