In a Thursday announcement, the White House said the Biden administration is gearing up for an influx of COVID-19 cases this winter by offering free COVID-19 tests.
Here’s how you can get them.
Free at-home COVD tests will be available through COVIDTests.gov for a limited round of ordering starting Thursday. All U.S. households can order a total of four tests that will be mailed directly to them for free and orders will begin to ship the week of Dec. 19.
“In the absence of Congress providing additional funding for the nation’s COVID-19 response, the administration has acted with its limited existing funding to add more at-home COVID-19 tests to the nation’s stockpile and support this round of ordering ahead of continued increases in COVID-19 cases,” said the White House.
According to a fact sheet, the administration has worked to provide over 15,000 free community testing sites nationwide. Testing sites can be found with a tool available through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services website.
Additionally, over-the-counter tests are covered under Medicare and all health insurance plans are required to cover eight free at-home tests per month per individual. These “can be easily accessed at local pharmacies and online,” said the White House.
Other locations where Americans can access free COVID-19 tests are schools, community health centers, rural health clinics, long-term care facilities, and more. More than 6,500 Department of Housing and Urban Development-assisted rental housing properties serving seniors will distribute free at-home tests and a program to distribute free at-home tests to as many as 500 major food banks is expected to expand.
Data updated Thursday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed that new COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths were trending up. As of Dec. 7, the seven-day average of weekly new cases (65,569) increased by 49.6%.
“While COVID-19 is not the disruptive force it once was, the virus continues to evolve, and cases are on the rise again as families are spending more time indoors and gathering for the holidays,” said the White House. “Throughout the COVID-19 response, this administration has been prepared for whatever the virus throws our way – and this moment is no different.”
When Americans experience symptoms that could indicate COVID-19 infection, they should use an at-home COVID-19 test, said the Biden administration. Testing is also encouraged before and after traveling for the holidays or visiting indoors with immunocompromised or vulnerable individuals.
People who have difficulty accessing the internet or need additional support to get their free tests can place an order by calling 1-800-232-0233 (TTY 1-888-720-7489) to get help in English, Spanish, and more than 150 other languages from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. E.T., Monday to Friday and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. E.T. on weekends.
Apart from making free tests available as COVID-19 cases rise, the administration also has plans to continue making vaccinations and treatments “readily available to all Americans.”
“If you test positive and are more likely to get very sick from COVID-19, treatments are available,” the CDC said last week. “In a new CDC study, adults who were prescribed Paxlovid for mild to moderate COVID-19 were over 50% less likely to be hospitalized with COVID-19.”
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