Americans To Access COVID-19 Test Kits For Free As US Government Restarts Free At-Home Program

Starting in late September, U.S. households can order up to four COVID-19 nasal swab tests when the federal program reopens.

The exact date for ordering has not been announced, according to the official website, COVIDtests.gov.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which oversees the program, stated the tests will detect current strains of the virus and can be ordered in time for the holiday season.

Over-the-counter COVID-19 tests typically cost around $11 as of last year, ABC news reported.

This initiative comes as the government encourages the public to get updated COVID-19 boosters before the fall and winter respiratory virus season.

Since the pandemic began, the Biden administration has distributed 1.8 billion COVID-19 tests, half of which were sent directly to households.

However, the current stock of tests available for distribution remains unclear, the report noted.

In August, the federal government suspended its offer of free at-home COVID-19 tests without congressional authorization for an extension.

“Ordering through this program will be suspended on Friday, Sept. 2, because Congress hasn’t provided additional funding to replenish the nation’s stockpile of tests,” a message on the federal government’s COVID-19 website reads. 

“These tests will help keep families and their loved ones safe this fall and winter season,” CNBC highlighted, citing an assistant secretary for preparedness and response at the Health and Human Services Department during the briefing. “This is the seventh time over the last three years that the Biden-Harris administration has given families the opportunity to order the over-the-counter COVID-19 tests for free” through the government’s website.

CNBC report also added that the government is relaunching the program amid a relatively large spike in Covid cases this summer and ahead of the fall and winter, when the virus typically spreads at higher levels each year.

There is a “high” or “very high” level of COVID-19 being detected in wastewater in almost every U.S. state, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

Last week, the FDA granted emergency use authorization (EUA) for updated mRNA COVID-19 vaccines (2024-2025 formula) to include a monovalent (single) component that corresponds to the Omicron variant KP.2 strain of SARS-CoV-2.

The updated vaccines from Moderna Inc. MRNA and Pfizer Inc. PFE / BioNTech SE BNTX have been approved.

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