As businesses all around the country continue to open and people begin to leave their houses in greater numbers, confirmed COVID-19 cases have begun to reach new highs. According to the CDC, there have been at least 91,727 cases of coronavirus in Texas with no signs of slowing. As of Tuesday morning, at least 2,018 Texans have died from COVID-19.

With COVID-19 cases continuing to reach all-time highs every day, it is more vital now than ever that Texans seek testing if they are experiencing COVID symptoms. Just last month, the City of Arlington began providing drive-thru Covid-19 testing completely free of charge. 

Luckily, more testing options are becoming available. CVS Pharmacies is continuing to expand its free drive-thru testing program, which was originally rolled out in mid-April and is now available to Arlington residents.

Anyone can have a test taken, as long as the patient legally resides in the state where the test is given and is 18 years of age or older. To see if you qualify for CVS Covid-19 testing, the process only takes a few easy steps.

• See if you qualify: Answer a few simple questions to see if you qualify for COVID-19 testing.
• Select a test site: Select a test site and available time that is most convenient for you and fill out a registration form. As of June 16th, the only CVS location in Arlington providing testing is the East Abrams location, although more locations and testing times are becoming available every day. 
• Bring ID: Finally, bring proof of identity and in-state residence, as well as the test confirmation email or text message, with you to your appointment. After arriving at your scheduled time and location, look for further instructions posted at the site. CVS is asking patients to remain in their car for safety purposes.

As for the test itself, it is important to know that the test is self-administered and performed at home using a nasal swab. Once the sample is collected, it is then provided to the CVS clinic to be tested. Instructions on how to complete your at-home test are available on the site.

An important distinction to make is that the test being provided by CVS looks for current infection and not for existing antibodies. Because of this, it is important to only seek testing if you are currently experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, such as fever, cough, shortness of breath, loss of taste/smell, nausea or vomiting or sore throat. If you currently are experiencing these symptoms or others, mild or worse, consider getting a test done.  

As cities relax their Covid-19 safety regulations and people go out in greater numbers, the rate of new cases is expected to continue rising for the foreseeable future. Although there is no way to reduce risk of infection to zero, there are still many ways to minimize your chances of spreading the virus. 

Reduce the risk of spreading the virus by

• Social distancing, staying 6 feet or more away from other people
• Wearing masks in public
• Washing your hands often
• Reducing the amount of time spent around other people

In general, the more closely you interact with others and the longer the interaction, the higher the risk of COVID-19 spread. If you are currently experiencing COVID-like symptoms, be sure to seek testing as soon as possible so that the virus can be more effectively tracked and follow the CDC recommended 14-day self-quarantine. 

The need to test is important in tracking where new cases are coming from so that resources can be properly allocated in an effort to stop further spread of the virus. It is vitally important that residents take advantage of free COVID-19 testing in Arlington. As the rate of infections continues to rise, so does the need, and importance, for more testing.