The HHS, which has not yet provided an exact date for when ordering begins, is reopening the program at a time of year when COVID-19 cases and other respiratory illnesses are expected to surge.
Americans will soon be able to order free COVID-19 test kits from the federal government to be delivered to their homes.
The program, offered through the U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) agency, will offer up to four nasal swab tests per U.S. household when it opens at COVIDTests.gov.
HHS is reopening the program at a time of year when COVID-19 cases and other respiratory illnesses are expected to make their yearly surges. The tests will detect current virus strains and will be available through the end of the year.
As of Monday, the agency did not have an exact date for when the program would start. The website says the tests will be available for order at the end of September.
Here’s what to know about the free COVID-19 tests.
How to order free COVID-19 tests
To order the tests, visit COVIDtest.gov. Once ordered, the at-home tests will be shipped to homes for free.
Each household can receive up to four free tests.
When will free COVID tests be available to order?
An agency spokesman did not provide a program start date when reached Monday by USA TODAY. The website says tests will be available for order by the end of September.
What do the tests detect?
The tests will be able to detect the dominant variants that are circulating, according to the CDC.
The at-home tests typically provide results within 30 minutes or less and can be administered to both vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals. Many COVID-19 tests now have extended expiration dates.
While positive results are accurate, the HHS warns that negative results don’t necessarily rule out a COVID-19 infection. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommends two negative antigen tests for people with symptoms or three antigen tests for people without symptoms, each performed 48 hours apart.
CDC recommends updated COVID-19 vaccine
The program will begin at a time as COVID-19 is expected to hit its winter peak along with the flu and respiratory virus (RSV.)
As of this month, the COVID-19 variant KP.3.1.1 now accounts for more than half of positive infections in the United States, according to the latest projections from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Prior infections or vaccines may grant individuals with some degree of immunity or protection, but it doesn’t last forever. The CDC recommends that everyone ages 6 months and older receive an updated COVID-19 vaccine regardless of whether they have ever previously been vaccinated.
Contributing: Ahjané Forbes, USA TODAY
