For many people, it makes sense to keep at least a few of these tests on hand. Using these tests frequently-for school attendance, before and after a large indoor gathering, prior to seeing a vulnerable person-can help reduce risk of spreading the coronavirus. They can be a valuable tool for managing life during the pandemic.īy late February 2023, 30 rapid antigen tests had earned FDA emergency authorization for at-home use without a prescription. Often called “rapid tests” or “home COVID tests,” these rapid antigen tests rely on a nasal swab to detect active infections within about 15 minutes. Patients will need to pre-register in advance online at CVS.com in order to schedule a same-day time slot for testing.Rapid antigen tests offer a quick and easy way to screen for COVID-19 on your own. Rapid COVID-19 testing will be available to eligible individuals who meet criteria established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in addition to state residency and age guidelines. As a result, the company will be stopping COVID-19 testing at the original Shrewsbury, Massachusetts pilot testing site. “The continued expansion of testing, along with our new efforts around community tracing, will enable the Commonwealth to better track and slow the spread of this virus.”ĬVS Health will be transitioning its efforts to support COVID-19 testing in Massachusetts to the Lowell location, which allows for up to 1,000 patients to be tested per day and receive results on-site so they can properly quarantine or seek treatment as appropriate. “By working with a wide range of partners, we have dramatically increased Massachusetts’ COVID-19 testing capacity, and we are grateful to CVS for their partnership in launching this new rapid testing site,” said Governor Charlie Baker.

“We are now able to significantly improve upon our testing capabilities in the state, greatly expanding access to testing with rapid results for eligible individuals.” “Our initial experience in Massachusetts has enabled us to expand testing into other states while maximizing efficiency and safety,” said Troyen Brennan, MD, MPH, Chief Medical Officer and Executive Vice President, CVS Health. Rapid COVID-19 testing will take place in the parking lot of the Showcase Cinemas located at 32 Reiss Avenue, in Lowell no testing will take place at CVS Pharmacy or MinuteClinic locations. Similar to the rapid COVID-19 test sites in Georgia and Rhode Island, testing in Lowell will be overseen by licensed health care providers from MinuteClinic, the retail medical clinic of CVS Health. The site will provide Massachusetts residents with on-the-spot COVID-19 testing and results at no cost using the new Abbott ID NOW™ COVID-19 test, and joins rapid testing sites in Georgia and Rhode Island launched earlier this week. Building on learnings from the company’s pilot COVID-19 testing site launched in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts in March, CVS Health today announced the launch of a new rapid testing site in Lowell, Massachusetts in conjunction with federal and state officials.

Does cvs have rapid covid test