Walmart in El Paso delivers coronavirus tests by drone

LAREDO, Tex. (KGNS) -A Walmart in Texas has started delivering coronavirus tests by drone in one of the cities that is being hit the hardest by the pandemic.

The free delivery is available for people in single-family homes within a one-and-a-half-mile radius of the store.

The program, sponsored by Walmart, quest diagnostics, and Droneup, is bringing the technology to the El Paso area.

The kit includes a device for nasal swab collection.

The drones will deliver the kits to single-family homes within 1.5 miles of the El Paso Walmart Supercenter.

Findings from the program will help determine how drones can play a role in the pandemic response, health care delivery, and retail.

Dr. Anthony Fauci expressing regret for not pushing harder for mass testing earlier.

Once delivered, patients can ship their samples to a quest diagnostics lab using a provided pre-paid shipping envelope.

They receive the results online.

El Paso’s mayor says he is proud of the program.

Despite the news about a couple of new vaccines on the way and home testing kits, the surge of COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths continue to surge nationwide.

And now new warnings about what to expect from coronavirus in the coming weeks continue as we face the upcoming holiday.

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