Rite Aid in Monroeville to begin self-swab testing for covid-19

Rite Aid pharmacies are joining the effort to help Western Pennsylvanians get tested for covid-19.

Starting Thursday, the Rite Aid at 4111 William Penn Highway in Monroeville will begin drive-up testing by appointment for people showing possible symptoms of the highly contagious coronavirus disease, the company announced Wednesday.

The person being tested must remain in his or her vehicle at the Rite Aid parking lot and take a self-administered nasal swab overseen by pharmacists.

Testing will be available via scheduled appointments 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days a week.

The Monroeville pharmacy expects it to conduct more than 200 tests per day. It’s located on Route 22, between the Monroeville Mall and UPMC East hospital, near where the Parkway East intersects with the Pennsylvania Turnpike.

Testing will be free for anyone who meets criteria established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which includes people with symptoms such as a fever, shortness of breath and worsening cough. The CDC calls for prioritizing testing for health care professionals, people over age 65 and those with underlying health conditions.

Rite Aid will be using Google offshoot Verily’s “Baseline covid-19 Program” for screening, scheduling and returning test results to patients.

New Jersey-based BioReference Laboratories will process the swabs, “with the goal of flattening the curve through accessible diagnostic testing,” Rite Aid official said in a statement.

PWNHealth, a national clinician network, will provide clinical oversight and support.

Another Rite Aid, at 115 Leader Heights Road in York, also will begin self-swab testing on Thursday.

The pair of new locations follow similar drive-up sites in place at Rite Aid pharmacies in Harrisburg and Philadelphia.

Rite Aid also is working with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and White House Coronavirus Task Force to open drive-up covid-19 testing locations in New York, New Jersey, Ohio, Michigan, Connecticut and Virginia.

Patients must bring a government-issued ID, be at least 18 years old and pre-register online.

Appointments can be made at RiteAid.com.