Walmart drone delivery COVID-19 test kits extends to El Paso, TX

After having launched pilots in New York and Nevada, Walmart now extends its drone delivery service of self-collecting COVID-19 test kits to El Paso, TX, starting today.

Walmart drone delivery COVID-19 test kits extends to El Paso, TX

Qualifying residents living within one and a half miles from the Walmart Supercenter at 1850 N. Zaragoza Road in East El Paso will be among the first customers to try the new drone delivery service.

DJI Inspire 2 drones will deliver the self-collecting COVID-19 test kits to single-family homes only at this time.

Walmart, Quest Diagnostics, and DroneUp are teaming up to launch the pilot program. The drone delivery service is available from Monday through Saturday from 9:30 AM to 4:30 PM and Sunday from 10 AM to 4:30 PM, weather and visibility permitting and while supplies last.

After taking delivery of a COVID-19 test kit, the patient will perform a self-administered nasal swab in the privacy of their home. Using the provided, and prepaid shipping envelope. The patient will then ship the sample to a Quest Diagnostics lab. After processing the sample, the patient will be able to receive the COVID-19 test result through the secure Quest Diagnostics MyQuest online portal or app.

“Walmart has been serving the El Paso community throughout the pandemic with drive-thru testing sites and extended testing hours, and we wanted to provide another way to access testing that provides convenience and leverages technology while learning how drones could impact the delivery of healthcare in the future,” said Amanda Jenkins, Vice President of Operation Support and Implementation, Walmart U.S. Health and Wellness “We are grateful to our Quest and DroneUp partners, and our pharmacists and associates, for their support in launching the pilot as we continue to work together during the pandemic.”

People that are interested in participating in the drone delivery service must live within 1.5 miles of the El Paso Walmart store and request a drone delivery appointment through www.GetDroneTest.com .

There is no delivery cost for patients who qualify to receive an at-home self-collection kit through this pilot program. Patients must also meet CDC and state and local guidelines for testing and must be 18 years of age or older. Patients can visit www.GetDroneTest.com for more information and to determine if they are eligible, reports KFOX.

“Quest Diagnostics is proud to partner with Walmart and DroneUp on this innovative pilot program to examine how drones could deliver health care to patients who are unable to leave their home, or live in remote locations,” said Dan Haemmerle, General Manager of Extended Care at Quest Diagnostics. “We will take the learnings from this pilot and enhance the ways we deliver health care services to the patients we serve.”

“Collaborating to deliver self-collection kits offers further investment into solutions that will advance safe and effective drone delivery,” said Tom Walker, Founder & CEO of DroneUp. “We are honored to partner with Walmart and Quest to pioneer these deliveries and equally as proud to serve our communities.”

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