CAMP HILL, Pa. — Rite Aid is expanding no-charge COVID-19 self-swab testing to all drive-thrue locations, with 441 additional sites opening Friday, February 12, through its partnership with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

The new testing sites will increase Rite Aid’s capacity for COVID testing services in California, Connecticut, Delaware, Idaho, Maryland, Michigan, New Hampshire, Ohio, Oregon, Virginia and Washington.

Like Rite Aid’s existing drive-thru testing sites, the new locations will utilize PCR, simple self-swab nasal tests overseen by Rite Aid pharmacists and will operate Monday through Friday 10 a.m. – 8 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Rite Aid’s COVID-19 nasal tests are available for all individuals four years of age and older, regardless if they are experiencing virus symptoms, in accordance with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance.

At all testing locations, customers are required to pre-register online at www.riteaid.com in order to schedule a time slot for testing. Individuals ages 4-17 may access testing with parent or legal guardian consent. Additionally, a parent or legal guardian must be in attendance and bring their photo ID to the testing appointment with the minor.

Now operating more than 1,200 testing sites across 16 states, Rite Aid is expanding access to essential testing services across more communities while ensuring the safety of in-store customers by offering testing exclusively via the drive-thru. A complete list of Rite Aid’s COVID-19 testing sites can also be found at www.riteaid.com.

“Testing is an essential tool in the battle against COVID-19,” said Jocelyn Konrad, executive vice president and chief pharmacy officer, Rite Aid. “With the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines ramping up, it’s imperative that getting tested remains a priority with other COVID-19 safety prevention methods.”

Rite Aid partners with Verily and its Baseline COVID-19 Testing Program to provide screening, scheduling and return of results to participants for Rite Aid testing sites.

BioReference Laboratories provides COVID-19 laboratory testing.

Clinical oversight for the COVID-19 testing program is provided by PWNHealth, a national clinician network that enables safe and easy access to diagnostic testing.

Rite Aid will continue to provide regular updates on the company’s progress with COVID-19 testing.

Rite Aid also announced its partnership with the federal government as an inaugural participant in the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program. Under this program, federal health authorities determine the allocation of doses, while state and local jurisdictions continue to define their own eligibility requirements.

Rite Aid pharmacies will receive direct federal allocations initially in five states and two jurisdictions: California, Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, and New York City. At launch, we expect to receive 100 doses per participating store, per week. These allocations will grow over time and supplement existing supply from state and local governments. Rite Aid will be providing vaccinations in over half of its locations and expects to provide vaccinations in all its locations once supply is available.

“With vaccine demand outpacing supply, the establishment of an additional channel for vaccine allocation and distribution is an important and positive first step in the effort to end COVID-19,” said Heyward Donigan, president and chief executive officer, Rite Aid.  “Initially, vaccine appointments will still be difficult to schedule at any provider. However, we expect to see availability of the vaccine improve over time, and Rite Aid stands ready to administer as many vaccines as we are allocated quickly, safely and efficiently.”

The increase in available doses in our communities is welcome news, but we anticipate demand will continue to significantly outpace supply for the foreseeable future. As supply becomes more available, Rite Aid will increase the number of stores offering vaccines. Our website, www.riteaid.com/covid-19 is a comprehensive resource for timely, accurate information on access and availability to COVID-19 vaccines and testing in each community we serve. We will work tirelessly to ensure that we vaccinate as many people as our allocation allows; we appreciate the public’s patience and cooperation with the process.