Drone delivery company Flirtey has partnered with Vault Health to test drone delivery of Covid test kits in the Reno, NV area.
“The COVID-19 pandemic is continuing to spread, with more than 250,000 deaths and more than 11,000,000 cases in the United States, according to the CDC. Vault Health distributes a COVID-19 saliva test kit that can be used at home under supervision from a health professional through video call. Using Flirtey’s drones to deliver the test kits to homes will eliminate exposure risks and create further convenience, especially for those who do not live in proximity to on-site testing locations,” says a Flirtey press release.
The Vault Health COVID-19 Test Kits have been added to Flirtey’s existing drone delivery test program underway in the Reno, NV area. Vault Health will send kits to distribution centers: when a customer places an order, a Flirtey drone will deliver the COVID-19 test kit to the customer’s home, on-demand.
“Our mission is to save lives and improve lifestyles by making delivery instant for everyone. Partnering with Vault Health for Flirtey drone delivery of COVID-19 test kits is another huge step toward our mission. Drone delivery of COVID-19 test kits is faster than traditional mail, enabling faster results for the customer and reducing the time where a person may have the potential to spread COVID-19 by 24-48 hours,” said Flirtey Founder and CEO Matthew Sweeny.
“We feel an obligation as a team to help expand COVID-19 testing across America with continued innovation. Our shipping and result turnaround time is already fast, but working with Flirtey to make on-demand drone delivery of COVID-19 saliva test kits available will make it faster than ever. We will help everyone worrying about their infection status find their answer,” said Jason Feldman, Founder and CEO of Vault Health.
The FAA has made efforts to enable projects that support COVID-19 response. Drone service provider DroneUp has completed drone delivery of COVID test kits in Las Vegas in partnership with Walmart and Quest Diagnostics: other projects include Zipline’s drone delivery of personal protective equipment (PPE) and a UPS project that delivers prescription drugs to communities in Florida.
Miriam McNabb is the Editor-in-Chief of DRONELIFE and CEO of JobForDrones, a professional drone services marketplace, and a fascinated observer of the emerging drone industry and the regulatory environment for drones. Miriam has penned over 3,000 articles focused on the commercial drone space and is an international speaker and recognized figure in the industry. Miriam has a degree from the University of Chicago and over 20 years of experience in high tech sales and marketing for new technologies.
For drone industry consulting or writing, Email Miriam.
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[…] a positive impact from the pandemic by assisting with the remote delivery of coronavirus test kits and vaccines that allowed people to keep a safe distance and avoid infection. […]