fbpx

Rite Aid To Open Free COVID-19 Drive-Through Testing Site In Colonie

As part of Rite Aid's national COVID-19 testing plan, the Colonie popup clinic will be the chain's first in the Capital Region.

Rite Aid
Ride Aid in Colonie will be offering free, self-administered COVID-19 testing with an appointment. (Mike Mozart/Flickr)

Access to COVID-19 testing is about to get a little easier in the Capital Region. On April 19, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced a statewide antibody testing initiative—testing to determine how many New Yorkers have already contracted the potentially deadly virus—and now, on April 22, national pharmacy chain Rite Aid will open a new COVID-19 drive-through testing site at its Colonie location. As part of Rite Aid’s national COVID-19 testing plan, this Colonie popup clinic will be free for those that qualify and marks Rite Aid’s third such testing site in New York State.

“It’s not about the brand or PR for Rite Aid; it’s about helping people and protecting communities,” says Christopher Savarese, Rite Aid’s director of public relations. “That’s our main goal: to keep communities safe and healthy.” For the rollout of these quick, drive-through testing clinics, Rite Aid partnered with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which also worked with local governments to determine the best locations to place the testing sites. The first Rite Aid drive-through testing site opened on March 22 in Philadelphia; just one month later on and there will be 25 across the nation from California to New York with more on the way. (It should be noted that all testing sites are set up in Rite Aid parking lots with tents; testing does not occur under the regular drive-through.)

Those who wish to get tested should go to Rite Aid’s website to take a symptoms questionnaire based on Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines to determine eligibility. If eligible, a popup window will allow potential candidates to make an appointment at a location of their choice. Then, simply go to the location and get tested. “There’s a Rite Aid pharmacist there to guide people through the entire test,” says Savarese about the process, which only takes a few minutes. “It’s not like you’re driving into our parking lot, and someone just hands you something and says, ‘There you go.'”

The test is totally self-administered—a swab in both nostrils—and visitors to the clinic never even leave their cars (in fact, it’s required, per social distancing guidelines, that people remain in their vehicles). The swab is handed back to a Rite Aid pharmacist who then sends it to a laboratory for testing. Those tested should hear back about their results by phone or email within two to seven days.

Savarese says that that response time could fluctuate, too, depending on how many people are getting tested. “The situation with COVID is just so fluid,” he says. “But I always try to look for a positive in something, and one positive that I’ve seen here is how [well] companies and the media have worked together to get the word out about testing like this. It’s really important.”

Jeff Dingler

Jeff Dingler is saratoga living's Senior Writer. He's a graduate of Skidmore College and a professional musician.

ABOUT US

Welcome to Saratoga Living, the premier lifestyle media company in Saratoga Springs and the heart of New York’s Capital Region.

Saratoga Living magazine publishes six times a year. saratogaliving.com relaunched on February 8, 2018. Like our page on Facebook, and follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

The Voux magazine theme

THE CITY. THE CULTURE. THE LIFE.

FOLLOW US ON

 

For Saratoga Living‘s Submission Guidelines,
click here.

CONTACT US

All editorial queries should be directed to:
[email protected]; or sent to 6 Butler Place, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866.

Saratoga Living assumes no responsibility for unsolicited submissions.

For advertising inquiries, contact: [email protected].

For magazine subscriptions and to purchase back issues, contact:
[email protected].

For all other inquiries, call us at 518-294-4390.