Walmart's CEO says the chain will open up its parking lots for coronavirus testing stations

• Walmart will allow parts of its parking lots to be turned into coronavirus testing stations, Walmart CEO Doug McMillon said at a White House press conference on Friday.
• As the supply of testing equipment increases, the chain will open up more space to allow for drive-thru testing stations to be built.
• The US has lagged behind other nations in per capita testing for the virus.
• This comes just after President Donald Trump declared a state of national emergency.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Walmart will be turning part of its parking lots into coronavirus testing stations.

At a White House press conference on Friday, Walmart CEO Doug McMillon spoke about the urgency of creating testing stations.

"When we got the call yesterday from the White House, we were eager to do our part to help serve the country," McMillon said. "And given what we are facing that is certainly important to do. We should all be doing that."

The US lags behind other countries in its per capita testing for the virus. This has triggered concerns that inaccurate reporting woefully underestimates the actual number of coronavirus cases in the country.

"We have been asked to make portions of our parking lot available in select locations in the beginning, and scaling over time as the supply increases, so that people can experience the drive-thru experience that the president described. We'll stay involved and do everything we can from a supply-chain point of view to be of assistance," McMillon said.

President Donald Trump also declared a state of national emergency on Friday afternoon. This comes after more than half of US states had declared states of emergency.

Walmart did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment.