Walmart Announces Mobile Coronavirus Testing Sites in 10 States

Walmart has kept its doors open during the coronavirus pandemic, and now it’s anticipating coronavirus testing stations in parking lots at certain stores soon. In an interview with the Today show, Walmart CEO Doug McMillon said they’re hoping to have 20 testing sites across 10 states up and running in the near future. In addition, the retail giant also claims to have found more disposable gowns that they’ll be able to donate to hospitals.

Today co-host Savannah Guthrie posed the question on the company’s testing site status because some sites have been set up elsewhere but are more for frontline health care workers only, and as a response McMillon said the company is working on that. “We’re making progress,” he said. “Walmart, along with some other retailers, have been working with the testing labs, state governments and the federal government to try and stand these up.”

“We’ve put up a few,” the CEO continued. “We think we’re gonna have 20 sites open over 10 states in the next couple of weeks. PPE [personal protective equipment] was the original limitation but that’s starting to improve and we’re hoping to get those open and operating quickly in the places they’re needed most.” He added that the government has requested even more assistance from the conglomerate for disposable surgical gowns which is something they’ve been working on as well. “Through April, we think we found an additional million gowns that we’ll be able to get to hospitals and through the month of May, millions more to help out on the front line.”

While trying to provide testing sites to a broader range of individuals, the company is also trying to keep people safe inside its stores by implementing a few new rules. Certain stores are regulating their customers’ purchases to essential items only to keep people from shopping simply because it’s something to do during the era of social distancing. Walmart is also only allowing a certain number people in at one time in order to practice social distancing to the best of its ability. Other large retailers and grocery stores have followed suit by limiting the amount of people who are allowed in and installing plexiglass barriers at each register to help prevent the spread, along with signage in stores reminding customers to practice washing their hands often and to keep their distance from others.