My husband was walking home from getting his prescription and told a man in the drive thru that it is faster to get your prescription if you go inside. He replied through his open passenger window that “I am getting a COVID test”. WHAT??? Nobody here in the neighborhood knew that CVS was conducting COVID testing in their drive thru. They are also taking prescription orders in the same line. Does that sound safe to you?
There are no large visible signs displayed outside around the building that state “COVID Testing”. There is one sign on the pavement at Maple Ave. entrance that states “Testing by Appointment”. There is no sign at the Chestnut Ave exit where exiting cars cross over pedestrian walkways. The exit area has plenty of pedestrian traffic. I just talked to a woman yesterday who was walking with her child in a stroller as she passed by the driveway exit and asked her if she knew that they were doing COVID testing over there. She answered NO with a horrified look on her face. Had she known perhaps she would have chosen a different route for her daily stroll.
Nobody is aware that the testing on taking place and pedestrians are crossing the path of COVID symptomatic cars with many car windows open. This is a poor location to host COVID testing. First, the drive thru and parking lot are very small to handle such a large volume. Second, this is a very populated residential area. I know because I live right next door at 23 Chestnut Ave. My yard and driveway are parallel to the CVS drive thru. I am concerned for the safety of my family because of the daily 8 hour non-stop COVID drive thru parade. I am keeping my windows closed. I do not want any COVID droplets blowing into my house. We don’t sit in the backyard anymore. I am concerned for the prescription customers using the same line as the COVID symptomatic patients. I am concerned that there is no visible large signage clearly stating “COVID TESTING” so the public and customers can make informed decisions about navigating around the CVS building. With all the red flags that I noted most would agree that CVS Northfield Village is a bad choice to conduct COVID testing.
So, on November 11th, I left a voice message for Mayor Jesse Nehez and a voice message for his assistant Lisa. I called again the next day and Lisa informed me that the Mayor got my message and that there was nothing he could do. She said that I should call the Summit County Board of Health. I called their COVID hotline (330-926-5795) and shared all of the red flags and he said that there was nothing he could do. WHAT???? The next day Mayor Nehez called me back and after sharing my concerns again he said that he would make a call to the COVID hot line and check to see that CVS is following all of the CDC guidelines.
Still trying to get answers, I went inside the CVS pharmacy. I asked how could COVID testing be taking place embedded in a residential neighborhood? They said that they had no say or input regarding the testing and that it has been going on for 4 weeks. They are unhappy and do not want to do it. Many pharmacists have resigned. Hmm. . . I wonder why? I was given a CVS phone number for my complaint (1-800-SHOP-CVS or 1-800-740-7287). So I called and explained all the red flags and concerns to Jose. Then he connected me to James and I explained everything again. James said he would forward my complaint to the CVS management team.
If you are concerned like me and want the situation to change, please take the time to call CVS and have your voice heard. Let’s stop COVID testing at CVS Northfield Village. Thank You.
Mary (Betsy) Rudd
Northfield Village
