‘Test-to-Treat’ COVID-19 program slow to roll out

(NewsNation) — The White House’s new coronavirus website covid.gov is up and running two years into the pandemic.

The site is meant to be a one-stop shop for everything related to COVID-19, including testing, vaccines and masking. There is also a section dedicated to the “Test-to-Treat” program, which aims to speed up the process of getting COVID drugs for high-risk patients.

Biden announced the program in his State of the Union address on March 1, saying, “And now, we’re launching the ‘Test to Treat’ initiative so people can get tested at a pharmacy and, if they prove positive, receive the antiviral pills on the spot at no cost.”

The idea behind “Test to Treat” is simple. Get a COVID-19 test from your pharmacy, and if you test positive, walk out with free treatment for your symptoms.

The program is part of the White House’s initiative to fight COVID-19 and prevent the next variant wave, but the rollout hasn’t been perfect.

Some of the nation’s largest health centers and pharmacies, like CVS and Walgreens, are on board, but among the thousands of individual stores on the “test to treat” list, some aren’t even aware the program exists.

NewsNation called a handful of locations listed on the covid.gov site, pharmacies big and small. Most had long wait times. For others, it was impossible to speak to anyone.

“For those who are more vulnerable this is a real problem,” Axios reporter Monica Eng said. “As I mentioned in the story our tax dollars have already paid for these antivirals, so they should be available.”

Eng was among the first to report the issues with the “Test-to-Treat” list. She says making sure these programs work is crucial, especially as many states begin closing their COVID-19 testing sites.

A spokesman for CVS tells NewsNation that patients can receive treatments and tests in their pharmacies’ Minute Clinics, adding “We’re continuing to educate our CVS pharmacy teams about this new government program.”