In the pursuit of curbing the winter surge of the virus, the United States has reinstated its no-cost in-home COVID-19 testing initiative. Recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reveals an escalation in Covid-related hospitalizations during the past few weeks.
The tests possess the capability to identify a novel strain of the virus, which has surfaced in multiple American states. Individuals now have the opportunity to requisition four complimentary rapid antigen tests.
It is worth noting that the official government portal for COVID-19 testing requests was inaugurated in January 2022. However, this program was prematurely terminated in 2023 to conserve vital resources.
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The Biden administration elucidated that this program had hitherto disseminated an astonishing 755 million free Covid-19 tests, administered through the United States Postal Service.
Subsequent to the cessation of the public health emergency in May, numerous insurance providers ceased covering testing expenses, leaving individuals burdened with financial responsibility.
The CDC’s COVID-19 tracker recently disclosed a staggering 8% spike in hospitalizations, totaling 20,538 cases, from September 3rd to September 9th.
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has stipulated that these test kits are designed for utilization until the culmination of 2023. Furthermore, detailed guidelines will be furnished to elucidate the means of ascertaining extended test expiration dates.
This initiative is prompted by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which previously issued guidance indicating that the shelf life exceeds the information presented on the original packaging.
In a recent announcement, the Biden administration pledged a substantial investment of $600 million (£491 million) to support twelve domestic Covid-19 test manufacturers.
The administration anticipates that these companies will yield a supply of approximately 200 million tests.
For individuals interested in obtaining these complimentary tests, the website COVIDtests.gov serves as the designated platform.
Here, you will be prompted to furnish your contact details and shipping address. Notably, the United States Postal Service has conveyed that orders will commence free shipping during the week commencing October 2, 2023. It is essential to bear in mind that each residential address is limited to a single order.
For those unable to place online orders, an alternative method exists. You may contact 1-800-232-0233 (TTY 1-888-720-7489).