Americans can start ordering free at-home rapid Covid-19 tests through a new government website.
The website rollout is part of a larger effort by the Biden administration to increase access to testing, including more over-the-counter tests at pharmacies and in-person testing at local health centers.
Here is what to know about how to place an order, how many tests you can get, when they will arrive and more.
What is the address of the testing site?
The address is COVIDTests.gov.
Once a user clicks on “order free at-home tests,” the URL redirects to special.usps.com/testkits. The tests are available to order now.
What time does it go live?
The site went live in an early launch on Jan. 18, operating at a limited capacity for troubleshooting purposes, according to White House press secretary Jen Psaki.
It is set to officially launch midmorning on Jan. 19.
How many test kits can I get?
Every home in the U.S. is eligible to order four tests. The limit presents a problem for people living in homes with more than four residents or with people who want to test themselves frequently.
People who try to order more than one set of four tests to the same address on the website get an error message stating: “Our records show that at-home COVID-19 tests have already been ordered for this address. We are unable to process duplicate orders for the same address.”
A senior administration official suggested that people who want more tests take advantage of other methods of testing, including over-the-counter tests at pharmacies and testing sites.
“We have millions of free tests at community health centers where folks can go and pick those up, so I’d say this is just one part of a broader set of programs,” the official said.
What does it cost?
Nothing. The site won’t ask users to input a credit card number. People are asked to enter their names and residential mailing addresses.
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Originally Posted by Truckman
