WEST DES MOINES, Iowa — The Perry Hy-Vee pharmacy is one of more than 150 sites where Hy-Vee now offers free COVID-19 testing, the company announced Wednesday.
The testing began in August at 11 Hy-Vee pharmacies and has now expanded throughout the company’s eight-state region. Each location can accommodate up to 12 patients per hour, the Hy-Vee statement said.
The free tests are being coordinated by eTrueNorth and are are administered in a drive-through testing process. You do not have to have COVID-19 symptoms in order to be tested, but you must register online to receive a test voucher number, testing site and appointment time.
Children ages 3 and older may also be tested at the Hy-Vee pharmacy testing sites when they are registered and accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Testing windows are open on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday mornings. Testing hours vary by location, so patients should visit the Do I Need a COVID-19 Test? website in order to find available testing hours for their location.
Register for a test voucher number at the Do I Need a COVID-19 Test? website. Each patient will need to answer the questions and provide requested information in order to receive a test voucher number, testing site location and appointment time. The patient will then arrive at the specified test site pharmacy drive-thru with either a printed voucher number or show the voucher number on their phone before given a test kit.
The Hy-Vee pharmacy employee will provide the test kit, provide instructions on how to self-administer the test and supervise the administration of the test. The patient will then drop off their completed kit in a collection bin.
The entire test process takes about five minutes. From there, the Hy-Vee pharmacy collects all tests, which are shipped to a lab via the United Parcel Service. Results will then be sent to the patient by email in three to five business days.
