You Can Now Order Another Batch of Free COVID-19 Tests From the Government

Free COVID-19 tests from the government are back again.

On Thursday, COVIDtests.gov began accepting orders for four free COVID-19 testing kits. The U.S. Postal Service, or USPS, will deliver them directly to your doorstep.

"Your order of COVID tests is completely free — you won’t even pay for shipping," the USPS site states. "We will start shipping tests the week of September 30."

In recent days, federal websites and officials have been hinting that the free tests were coming back, with several government-run sites stating they would be available some time "late September." On Monday, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services website crashed due to an apparent flock of visitors looking for free tests, suggesting that demand for them is spiking.

Since the beginning of September, the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention's coronavirus tracker shows that COVID-19 deaths and infections have been increasing. Like flu season, COVID-19 infections tend to tick up in the fall and winter months.

That's why officials say testing is still essential. The free COVID-19 testing program is part of Biden administration's efforts to distribute 1 billion at-home coronavirus tests to the American public at no cost. It's well on its way to meeting that goal, as the federal government says it has already distributed over 900 million tests before the new batch shipped.

Since the launch of the program in January 2022, tests have been sporadically available for delivery. This latest batch of tests is the sixth round of shipments since the initiative started. The last time tests were distributed by mail was last year, almost to the day, on Sept. 25, 2023.

How to order free at-home coronavirus tests from the government

Here’s how to get your free at-home COVID-19 tests:

• Visit COVIDtests.gov, the official federal government website for the program.
• Press the "order free at-home tests" button, which will forward you to a separate site run by the USPS to place your order.
• Input your name and residential address that will be used for shipping.
• Follow the prompts to place your order, which includes four tests per address.
• OPTIONAL: Put in your email address to track the shipment of the tests.

Folks who have difficulty accessing the internet or the website can order the tests by calling 1-800-232-0233, a toll-free number shared by Vaccines.gov.

FAQs about free at-home COVID-19 tests

What kind of free COVID-19 tests are available delivery?

The tests are at-home rapid tests that have been authorized by the Food and Drug Administration. The exact brands aren’t clear. Rapid antigen tests are also called over-the-counter (OTC) or self tests or at-home tests. PCR tests, which require samples to be shipped to labs for results, aren’t a part of the program.

How long will it take for the tests to deliver?

Orders will begin shipping Monday. While exact time frames vary, the USPS’s website says first-class mail typically delivers within five business days.

How many at-home tests can I get for free?

The current order limit is four per residential address. That number is regardless of how many people live in your home.

The expiration date on my tests has passed. What should I do?

The FDA has extended the expiration dates past ones printed on the test kits in many cases.

"Many COVID-19 tests have extended expiration dates, so you may be able to use your COVID-19 tests after the expiration date that is printed on the box," the FDA's website advises. "To find out if your test has an extended expiration date, check the list of extended expiration dates."

Do I need health insurance?

No. The tests available through COVIDtests.gov are available to anyone with a residential shipping address in the U.S. and its territories. No proof of residency or insurance is required to place an order.

What if I test positive with an at-home test?

The CDC advises that if you test positive to take precautions to stop spreading the disease. Comprehensive COVID-19 infection reporting has winded down since the height of the pandemic, but the CDC still tracks the coronavirus as best it can. If you test positive with an at-home test, you can share your results with public health officials at the government-affiliated Make My Test Count site.

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