After CVS Denies Bicyclist COVID Test, Some Urge Test Sites To Allow People Without Cars In Drive-Thrus

“This is part of a pattern where access to important health care is a lot harder with people who don’t have cars," bicyclist Jeremy Glover said.

AVONDALE — It wasn’t until bicyclist Jeremy Glover was next in line, waiting behind a car at a CVS COVID-19 testing drive-thru window, that he realized his plan might veer off route.

He spotted a sign with the words, “VEHICLE REQUIRED FOR COVID TESTING.”

Considering this was the first he’d heard of this rule, Glover stayed in line hoping it wouldn’t be enforced. But when he pulled up to the window, the pharmacist didn’t skip a beat.

“They just flat out said, ‘You have to be in a car to get a test,’” Glover told me. 

After Glover tweeted what happened, his post quickly went viral. Many responded they also have had mixed luck accessing COVID-19 testing without a car. Even at places where bikes are allowed, some say the rules are inconsistent. Some bicyclists said they’ve found drive-up slots are more plentiful and make them feel safer than getting tested in-store, but they have few options for that.  

For Glover and other bicyclists, it’s part of a larger issue of ensuring equitable opportunities for a critical service during the pandemic. In Chicago, 29 percent of households don’t have access to a vehicle, according to Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning. 

https://blockclubchicago.org/2021/09/21/after-cvs-denies-bicyclist-...