Drive-Through Coronavirus Testing Promises Not Yet Fulfilled

"Drive-thru sites have been opening around the United States to make it quicker and safer to test people for the new coronavirus. But much like the rest of the U.S. response to the pandemic, the system has been marked by inconsistencies, delays, and shortages. Many people who have symptoms and a doctor’s order have waited hours or days for a test," reports Michelle R. Smith.

Smith describes the testing situations in states across the country, where some states have at least a small number of operational drive-through test centers while others are still struggling with staff and supply shortages. 

President Trump also stated test centers were coming to retail locations, such as CVS and Walmart, but very few sites are up and running. 

"The slow ramp-up of the COVID-19 testing and the spotty nature now of the system makes it hard for public health officials to track the spread of the disease and bring it under control," says Smith.