Walmart says little on virus-testing site

Walmart Inc. still isn't saying where in Bentonville its new drive-thru covid-19 testing site is located, but a spokeswoman said Tuesday it is on a Walmart property.

Gov. Asa Hutchinson said Monday the pilot testing site had a "soft opening" on Sunday. The site will serve first responders and health care workers who may have been exposed to the coronavirus, as well as people 65 and older who show symptoms of the illness.

The Bentonville-based retailer is operating the site in partnership with clinical testing provider Quest Diagnostics Inc. Testing involves taking nasal and throat swabs from those who meet the test criteria, and the swabs are sent to a lab for analysis.

On Friday, Walmart closed one of its Chicago-area pilot sites after the Illinois National Guard opened another just a few miles away. The Northlake, Ill., site's resources are being consolidated with Walmart's Joliet location, the spokeswoman said.

Walmart opened both sites in Supercenter parking lots on March 22. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services personnel staffed the sites along with Walmart pharmacist volunteers.

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