Government to provide free COVID-19 tests again

The federal government will once again send free COVID-19 tests to those who request them.

The tests will be ordered through the government’s website COVIDtests.gov, but a date has not been announced when the orders can be placed, CBS News reported.

Each household will be able to order four tests, which “will detect current COVID-19 variants and can be used through the end of the year,” Health and Human Services said.

In addition to the tests, the Food and Drug Administration recently approved two new booster shots that target the current strains of the virus, CBS News reported.

According to the website, the tests provided by HHS can be taken at home and provide results within 30 minutes. Previously sent tests all had expiration dates, but some had been extended. You can visit the FDA’s website to see if the tests you currently have are still valid.

If you need to undergo a COVID test, you don’t have to wait for the government to ship them to you. Instead, at-home tests are for sale across the country at pharmacies and other retailers. They cost $11 on average, CBS News reported. You can also go to testing sites, HHS said.

The government has already distributed more than 900 million COVID-19 tests since 2021, when the home delivery program started, NBC News reported.

©2024 Cox Media Group