Covid-19 tests are now available to be ordered for free from the US government. Starting Monday, people can order four tests per US household through Covidtests.gov. People without an internet connection can call 1-800-232-0233 (TTY 1-888-720-7489) to request tests.
Covid-19 rapid tests can be taken at home and can be used regardless of whether someone has symptoms. The tests should be good through the end of the year. Some of the dates on the tests may show that they are expired, but the US Food and Drug Administration has extended those dates.
The US government previously shipped more than 755 million free Covid-19 tests to people who requested them. The program has been suspended since May. Covid hospitalizations have been on the rise in the United States since July, with weekly admissions now more than triple what they were two months ago.
The tests will detect the currently circulating COVID-19 variants and are intended for use through the end of 2023. The kits will include instructions on how to verify extended expiration dates. Many kits have had their expiration dates extended beyond what may be printed on the packaging.
You don’t have to pay for shipping, and you’ll never be asked for a credit card or bank account number. You only need to give a name and shipping address. If you’d like an email confirmation and delivery updates from the U.S. Postal Service, you can submit your email address
There will also be instructions on how people can verify extended test expiration dates because the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) previously issued guidance suggesting that shelf life is longer than the original packaging states.
Last week, the Biden administration announced an investment of $600m (£491m) for 12 domestic Covid-19 test manufacturers.
The administration expects a supply of about 200 million tests to come from those companies.
A new vaccine updated to better protect against severe illness with the virus’s spreading variants in mind arrived in Chicago last week. Meanwhile, as clinics, hospitals and pharmacies first began to stock the new inoculation, the number of Chicagoans who got vaccinated last week dropped to pandemic lows.
The tests are intended for use through the end of 2023 and will come with instructions on how people can verify if the tests' expiration date has been extended, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
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