COVID-19 News

6 San Antonio-area CVS locations now offering drive-thru COVID-19 tests

The self-swab test is overseen by a CVS employee.

Photo courtesy of CVS

The nation's largest pharmacy chain is rapidly expanding its COVID-19 testing, promising to open more than 1,000 new sites across the U.S. by the end of May. On Friday, May 22, CVS will launch 44 of these in Texas, including six in San Antonio and the surrounding suburbs.

CVS offers drive-thru, contactless testing for the novel coronavirus, which means that, yes, the test is self-administered. Patients must first make an appointment online (a doctor referral is not required) and meet the necessary criteria per the Centers for Disease Control.

After approval, the patient must come to their nearest location at the assigned time. Walk-up testing is not available.

At the drive-thru site, the person remains in their vehicle while an employee confirms their identity and provides instructions on how to administer the self-swab test. The CVS team member then watches to ensure the swab is done correctly.

The test is then returned to the CVS employee and sent to an off-site lab for processing. Results should be received in two to three days.

No testing will happen inside the retail stores or CVS Minute Clinics, notes a release.

In the San Antonio metro area, COVID-19 testing is available at the following CVS locations:

23530 Wilderness Oak
120 E. Sonterra Blvd.
7603 Culebra
6915 West Ave. — Castle Hills
12980 Bandera Rd. — Helotes
2693 FM 3009 — Schertz

Each site has the capacity to conduct 50 tests per day, and most health insurance companies will not require patients to pay out-of-pocket costs to get the COVID-19 test. If you do not have insurance, bring your driver's license, a photo ID, or Social Security card with you.

CVS began its COVID-19 response in April, deploying testing sites largely in the Northeast. According to the company, shifting to self-swab tests allows the pharmacy chain to administer more coronavirus tests faster.

"While the large-scale test sites we've been operating since early April have proven successful, this new approach allows us to utilize our presence in communities across the country and bring testing closer to home," said Larry J. Merlo, president and CEO, of CVS Health, in a release. "Our frontline employees will continue to play a critical role in the testing process, with members of their communities directly benefitting from their dedication and selflessness."

health

schools with high achievers

These 7 San Antonio K-8 schools rank among Texas' best for 2025

Basis San Antonio - Shavano Campus

Congratulations are in order for the Dragons.

Several San Antonio elementary and middle schools are at the top of the class when it comes to educating and preparing the next generation for a successful life and career, according to U.S. News & World Report's list of 2025 Elementary and Middle Schools Rankings.

One such school – Basis San Antonio - Shavano Campus – is the No. 17 best middle school in Texas for 2025.

This November, U.S. News ranked over 79,000 public schools on the state and district level using data from the U.S. Department of Education. Schools were analyzed based on their students' proficiencies in mathematics and reading/language arts on state assessments, and tie-breakers were decided based on student-teacher ratios.

"The 2025 Best Elementary and Middle Schools rankings offer parents a way to evaluate how schools are providing a high-quality education and preparing students for future success," said LaMont Jones, Ed.D., the managing editor for Education at U.S. News. "The data empowers families and communities to advocate for their children’s education. Research continues to indicate that how students perform academically at these early grade levels is a big factor in their success in high school and beyond."

Texas' best middle schools for 2025
In all, five San Antonio middle schools achieved spots among the top 100 best Texas middle schools for 2025, according to U.S. News.

The Shavano Campus of the Basis San Antonio charter school has a total enrollment of 1,018 students, with 84 percent of the student population scoring "at or above the proficient level" in mathematics, and 90 percent scoring at that level of proficiency in reading. The school has a student-teacher ratio of 16:1, with 63 full-time teachers.

Students at this charter school performed far better with its test scores than the rest of Texas, U.S. News said.

Four additional San Antonio schools ranked among the top 100 best middle schools in Texas, including:

No. 53 – Eleanor Kolitz Hebrew Language Academy
No. 62 – Lopez Middle School, North East ISD
No. 80 – Idea Carver College Preparatory
No. 97 – Young Women's Leadership Academy, San Antonio ISD

The best elementary schools in Texas
Jesus A. Kawas Elementary school in Laredo was crowned the No. 1 elementary school in Texas for 2025, while two San Antonio schools made it into the top 100.

Basis San Antonio Primary Medical Center is the No. 75 best elementary school statewide, boasting 787 students, 48 full-time teachers, and a 16:1 student-teacher ratio. Students at this school scored 80 percent efficiency in math and 85 percent efficiency in reading.

Landing at No. 90 in Texas is San Antonio's Hardy Oak Elementary in North East ISD. Hardy Oak has a student population of 683 with 37 full-time teachers, and one full-time counselor. The school's student-teacher ratio is 18:1, and 77 percent of students are proficient in math, and 85 percent are proficient in reading.

U.S. News says student success at Hardy Oak is significantly higher than the rest of North East ISD.

"In North East Independent School District, 56 percent of students tested at or above the proficient level for reading, and 46 percent tested at or above that level for math," U.S. News said in Hardy Oak's profile. "Hardy Oak Elementary [also] did better in math and better in reading in this metric compared with students across the state."

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