New drive-thru COVID-19 testing sites run by Kroger Health will open in Louisville and Lexington next week, and Gov. Andy Beshear promised Wednesday that anyone who wants to be tested is eligible to get that done.

Starting Monday and running for two weeks, Beshear said Kroger Health will offer drive-thru tests in Kentucky's two biggest cities.

"We will now test anybody that wants a test," he said during his daily press conference on the pandemic Wednesday. "Anybody can sign up."

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That's a big change from earlier testing opportunities, when eligibility was constrained to relatively narrow segments of the population due in large part to the limited availability of testing equipment and protective gear.

But Beshear has repeatedly discussed how the state is working to ramp up coronavirus testing throughout the commonwealth, and Wednesday's announcement was one example of how that effort is going.

"We want to make sure that if you have symptoms or if you are in the danger zones, which means over 60 or have heart, lung or kidney disease, we want you to sign up," he said. "If you're a health care worker, a first responder, we want you to sign up...But we are able now to open our testing to the general public."

Read more:5 new COVID-19 testing locations coming to Kentucky

The locations of the drive-thru sites will be:

Louisville: Shawnee Park, 4501 W Broadway

Lexington: Bluegrass Community and Technical College, 500 Newtown Pike

People who go to those drive-thru sites also will receive a mask and hand sanitizer, Beshear said. Around 5,000 masks will be ready to hand out Monday.

Kroger Health also will offer drive-thru tests for anyone who wants one in Owensboro and Bowling Green next week at two sites that will be open Tuesday through Thursday, April 30, according to information state officials provided.

More:Kentucky needs increased testing capacity to reopen economy. Here's where the state stands

Those sites are located at:

Owensboro: Owensboro Community College, 4800 New Hartford Road

Bowling Green: South Warren High School, 8140 Nashville Road

People can get more information at krogerhealth.com/covidtesting.

And also:Drive-thru testing coming to predominantly black communities in Kentucky's largest cities

Reach reporter Morgan Watkins: 502-582-4502; mwatkins@courierjournal.com; Twitter: @morganwatkins26. Support strong local journalism by subscribing today: courier-journal.com/subscribe.