Free COVID-19 Tests to Be Available Again Soon

Following a surge in COVID-19 cases over the summer, Americans will be able to receive free virus test kits mailed directly to their homes beginning in late September.

According to the website COVIDtests.gov, U.S. households will be able to order up to four COVID-19 nasal swab tests when the federal program resumes. The U.S. Health and Human Services agency, which oversees the testing program, has not yet announced a specific start date for ordering.

The tests will be able to detect current virus strains and can be ordered in advance of the holiday season, a time when families and friends typically gather for celebrations, an HHS spokesperson stated in an email. Over-the-counter COVID-19 at-home tests typically cost around $11.

The announcement coincides with the government’s renewed push for Americans to receive an updated COVID-19 booster shot ahead of the fall and winter respiratory virus season. Earlier this week, U.S. regulators approved a new booster vaccine designed to combat recent virus strains and potentially those that may emerge during the winter months. However, vaccine uptake has been declining. While most Americans have some immunity from prior infections or vaccinations, data indicates that less than a quarter of U.S. adults received last fall’s COVID-19 shot.

The Biden administration has distributed 1.8 billion COVID-19 tests, including half delivered to households by mail. The number of tests currently in the federal stockpile is unclear.

Tens of billions of taxpayer dollars have been used to develop COVID-19 tests, vaccines, and treatments.

While deaths and serious infections have significantly decreased since COVID-19 first emerged in the U.S. in 2020, hospitalizations have begun to rise in recent weeks. In total, over 1 million Americans have died from the virus.