Walgreens said Oct. 22 it is expanding its COVID-19 testing to be available to children ages 3 years and older. It was previously only available to people 18 and older.
Parents are required to sign an electronic consent before their children can be tested, and they must accompany their children to the testing site.
Parents or children can administer the test, and a Walgreens pharmacist will instruct them on how to do it.
"We’re continuing to expand our COVID-19 testing program to improve access in the communities we serve, and this will help to address the growing need for testing for children and adolescents," said Rick Gates, senior vice president of pharmacy at Walgreens. “As more health departments and school administrators continue efforts to bring students back to classrooms in a safe and thoughtful manner, and to help parents and guardians seeking access to testing when warranted for their children, we’re proud to be a community testing resource for individuals and families — including those age 3 and over."
Walgreens operates 620 testing sites in the U.S. and Puerto Rico and said it expects to open 80 more by the end of this week.
Read the full news release here.