Kroger Health Announces COVID-19 Testing at All Clinic Locations

CINCINNATI, Aug. 20, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Kroger Health, the healthcare division of The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR), today announced the expansion of its COVID-19 testing offerings at more than 220 clinic locations by appointment for both symptomatic and asymptomatic patients. The expansion comes on the heels of the launch of the company's employer-focused COVIDCare Plus testing program, and just in time for the start of the upcoming flu season, during which many health officials anticipate an increased need for COVID-19 testing.

The clinic testing will mirror the self-administered collection process currently utilized at Kroger Health's community testing locations. The expansion will enable the company's multidisciplinary team of licensed healthcare professionals to increase access to testing and convenient care services. Kroger Health's in-store clinics have the capability to test up to 5,000 patients per day.

"We are proud of our drive-thru testing program that provided a quick, interim testing solution, and now we are focused on building testing capability that serves more Americans on an ongoing basis. These longer-term COVID-19 testing solutions include leveraging our clinic locations and our FDA-authorized COVID-19 Test Home Collection Kit so we can reach more people."

Patients can access Kroger Health's free screening tool to determine if testing is appropriate for them and schedule an appointment at krogerhealth.com/clinictesting. Once a patient schedules an appointment, a licensed practitioner will contact them via telehealth or by phone. Clinic locations will offer designated parking for patients and most COVID-19 sample collections can be self-administered under the observation of a Kroger Health professional while patients remain in their vehicles. The company has also instituted additional measures at Kroger Health clinics to safeguard the health and wellbeing of associates, patients and customers, including enhanced air filtration systems.

Since April, Kroger Health has facilitated more than 150,000 COVID-19 tests across 19 states at drive-thru and walk-up testing locations. As the nation prepares to enter flu season, testing will become even more critical to help diagnose COVID-19 amidst potentially similar symptoms.

"COVID-19 and the flu share many of the same symptoms, which could cause added confusion and concern for Americans of all ages," said Marc R. Watkins MD, Kroger Health's chief medical officer. "Kroger Health is ramping up our comprehensive testing efforts to provide our communities with the resources they need stay healthy and flatten the curve."

Kroger Health clinics, currently called The Little Clinic, are available in Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee and Virginia.

About Kroger Health:
Kroger Health, the healthcare division of The Kroger Co., is one of America's leading retail healthcare organizations, with over 2,200 pharmacies and 220 clinics in 35 states serving more than 14 million customers. Our team of 22,000 healthcare practitioners - from pharmacists and nurse practitioners, to dietitians and technicians – are committed to helping people live healthier lives. We believe in practicing at the top of our licenses and enabling "food as medicine" to help prevent or manage certain diseases. We are dedicated to providing testing and wellness services to help Americans combat the COVID-19 crisis. Learn more at www.krogerhealth.com.

About The Kroger Co.:
At The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR), we are Fresh for Everyone™ and dedicated to our Purpose: To Feed the Human Spirit®. We are, across our family of companies, nearly half a million associates who serve over 11 million customers daily through a seamless shopping experience under a variety of banner names. We are committed to creating #ZeroHungerZeroWaste communities by 2025. To learn more about us, visit our newsroom and investor relations site.

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SOURCE The Kroger Co.