UPS, CVS & UPSFF Send in the Drones IN FL
UPS and CVS Health Corporation (NYSE:CVS.N) today said UPS subsidiary UPS Flight Forward (UPSFF) will use drones to deliver prescription medicines from a CVS pharmacy to The Villages, Florida for the largest U.S. retirement community, home to more than 135,000 residents. The service will use Matternet’s M2 drone system.
Drone transport offers a fast delivery option for medicines that are time-senstive, while supporting social-distancing efforts. Drone delivery options provide individuals with a convenient alternative to visiting a pharmacy. This program can also help prioritize the protection of our healthcare heroes.
“Our new drone delivery service will help CVS provide safe and efficient deliveries of medicines to this large retirement community, enabling residents to receive medications without leaving their homes,” said Scott Price, UPS chief strategy and transformation officer. “UPS is committed to playing its part in fighting the spread of Coronavirus, and this is another way we can support our healthcare customers and individuals with innovative solutions.”
UPS and CVS last year announced plans to jointly explore the use of drone delivery. The companies successfully completed their first drone deliveries of medical prescriptions from a CVS pharmacy in Cary, N.C. in November 2019.
“Now more than ever, it’s important that our customers have access to their prescriptions,” said Jon Roberts, executive vice president and chief operating officer of CVS Health. “In addition to our in-store pickup, free delivery services and drive through pickup, this drone delivery service provides an innovative method to reach some of our customers.”
The new service in The Villages in central Florida begins in early May under the Federal Aviation Administration’s Part 107 rules, with authority to operate through the pandemic and explore ongoing needs as they arise after that period. The operation could expand to include deliveries from two additional CVS pharmacies in the area.
The first flights will be less than one half mile and be delivered to a location near the retirement community. Initially, a ground vehicle will complete the delivery to the resident’s door.
Last year, UPS and Matternet initiated an ongoing revenue-generating drone delivery service at WakeMed’s flagship hospital and campus in Raleigh, N.C., completing more than 3,700 flights to date under the FAA’s Part 107 rules. UPS also established UPS Flight Forward in June 2019, which later earned the Federal Aviation Administration’s Standard Part 135 Air Carrier certification to operate a drone air carrier in September 2019. The companies later initiated service at the University of California San Diego Health system, also under the FAA’s Part 107 rules.
UPS Flight Forward has been exploring prospects for supporting the healthcare industry’s fight to stop the spread of Coronavirus. In April, the company announced its participation in tests in Virginia with the US government and partners to determine how unmanned aerial systems can assist medical professionals in their fight to stop the spread of the virus.
Nikola Uses Fed Money to Pay Employees
Nikola Motors is the third electric car company to get a Small Business Paycheck Protection Program forgivable loan form the stimulus package. It received $4.1 million dollars.
“I wish I could see into the future about how long the virus shutdown will affect us for. Right now, it has been a huge help to cover the two months of payroll with the PPP,”, CEO Trevo Milton told Forbes by email. The loan is being used to “retain high paying jobs.”
Mitsubishi Makes Face Shields
To help prevent the spread of COVID-19 infections, MITSUBISHI MOTORS CORPORATION (MMC) announced today it will produce face shields to provide to medical institutions.
Production of approximately 1,500 face shields per month has started at the Okazaki Plant in Aichi Prefecture and other facilities, and MMC today donated them to city of Okazaki. Another production site, Pajero Manufacturing Co., Ltd. In Gifu Prefecture, also donated the produced face shields to a hospital in Minokamo City, Gifu Prefecture.
Further, MMC is planning to donate them in Okayama Prefecture, where the Mizushima Plant is located.
MMC plans to ramp up the face shield production and produce other products such as face masks for preventing the spread of infection.
To help prevent the spread of COVID-19 infections, MMC group will continue to utilize its factory facilities and expertise cultivated in the development and production of automobiles, while cooperating with national and local governments, as well as related organizations around the world.
Texas Farm Bureau Insurance Refunds
To honor its commitment to keeping Texas strong, Texas Farm Bureau Insurance (TFBI) is refunding more than $20 million to its auto policyholders.aAuto policyholders will be credited/refunded 15% of their auto insurance premiums for two months with those credits and payments beginning May 15th.
Gunther Motors Gives More HOPE
Gunther Motor Company announced it would be presenting HOPE South Florida with a gift of $25,000 in support of their works in aiding individuals within the South Florida community faced with struggles brought on by the effects COVID-19.
Hold the Bleach & Peroxide—Bag the Gloves and Masks!
A vehicle could be a hotbed of germs and bacteria, if not properly cleaned. That’s why Ziebart, a 60-year-old global provider of vehicle appearance and protection services with 400 locations and 1,200 service centers across the world, is offering helpful car sanitization tips, including identifying and disinfecting high-touch point areas inside and outside of their vehicles.
Steering wheels, door handles (interior and exterior), door latches, lock buttons, radio and climate control buttons, touchscreen radios/GPS systems, seat belts are all high touchpoints. Ziebart recommends its Germ Defender product.
DO
- After leaving the grocery store, place your mask in a paper bag before putting it on your car seat.
- Similarly, remove your gloves and place them in a bag before entering the vehicle. Throw the bag with the gloves away when you get home.
- Placing your mask and gloves in a bag before entering your vehicle prevents any germs from the store that are now on the gloves/mask from being transferred to the car.
- Carry anti-bacterial wipes to disinfect the high-touch points of the vehicle noted above, including steering wheels, door handles (interior and exterior), door latches, lock buttons, radio and climate control buttons, touchscreen radios/GPS systems, seat belts.
- To reduce damage, use an alcohol swab to clean touch screen radios in the car.
DON’T:
- Don’t place used gloves and masks on the seats in the car after leaving the grocery store.
- Don’t throw used plastic gloves on the ground outside of the grocery store.
- Never spray any liquid chemicals on electronic devices in the car – this can severely damage the system and lead to a high cost to repair
- Don’t use bleach or hydrogen peroxide to clean – this can damage surfaces.