New COVID-19 testing site opens at Walmart in Northwest Miami

A new coronavirus testing site opened Monday, May 4, 2020, at the Walmart store at 3200 NW 79th St., Miami, FL 33147.

Expanding COVID-19 testing options in Miami-Dade County, this site is a collaborative effort of Walmart and Quest Diagnostics, along with the support of state and local officials. This site offers tests for people with COVID-19 symptoms, health care providers and first responders. Testing is by appointment only, and appointments can be made on the Quest Diagnostics’ online portal and app.

There is no out-of-pocket cost for people being tested.

“We continue to look for ways to increase testing options for our residents, especially in under-served communities,” said Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez. “Corporate partners play a vital role in helping us open more testing sites, and we are pleased that Walmart and Quest Diagnostics are finding a high-tech approach to scheduling appointments while also offering on-site support for those needing assistance with scheduling.”

This Walmart testing site:

• Is open Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m., weather permitting.
• Requires appointments made through Quest’s MyQuest^TM online portal and app, MyQuestCOVIDTest.com, which screens and schedules appointments for people who meet medical eligibility requirements. On-site scheduling will be available for those needing assistance.
• Requires that those being tested wear a mask and stay in their cars for verification of eligibility criteria, ID check and the self-administered test. For the safety of all those on-site, testing is not available to those who walk up.
• Uses a self-administered nasal swab test. People swab their own nose at the Walmart site while remaining in their vehicles. A trained medical volunteer will observe the procedure to ensure the sample is taken correctly and then dropped into a container at the drive-thru site.
• Relies on Quest Diagnostics to handle processing test samples and communicating results to those tested and applicable departments of health. Test results take an average of two days to arrive.
• Is staffed by Walmart pharmacists and associates.
• Will not conduct testing inside of the store, to ensure that strict health and safety standards are maintained.

All individuals awaiting test results are asked to follow CDC guidelines and take steps to help prevent the virus from spreading to people in their homes and the community.

For the County’s most recent COVID-19 updates, go to miamidade.gov/coronavirus.