What is Free COVID Test Kits? Are there any at-home tests for Coronavirus?

Place Your Order for Free At-Home COVID-19 Tests

Residential households in the U.S. can order one set of 4 free at-home tests from USPS.com. Here’s what you need to know about your order:

Limit of one order per residential address
One order includes 4 individual rapid antigen COVID-19 tests
Orders will ship free starting in late January

How to order free testing kits from the government?

Some Americans will be able to order free coronavirus tests on the new federal government website a day early.

While COVIDTests.gov was expected to start accepting orders on Wednesday, an “Order free at-home tests” button was added Tuesday, which brings users to usps.com/covidtests to order four at-home free tests.

Where can I get a Free COVID Test Kits?

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Tuesday the site is in its beta phase to allow troubleshooting.

“We can’t guarantee there won’t be a bug or two,” Psaki said, “but the best tech teams across the administration and the Postal Service are working hard to make this a success.”

What You Need To Know About ‘Free’ Covid At-Home Testing?

What is usps covid test free?

USA TODAY tested the site and got a message that “COVID-19 tests will start shipping in late January.” The Postal Service will only send one set of four free at-home coronavirus tests to valid residential addresses, the site said.

USPS COVID test kits

Some users immediately identified at least one problem: Orders made by different people living in the same apartment building but in different units were rejected as duplicates, according to some tweets. Americans are supposed to be able to order up to four kits per address. Once ordered, tests are to be mailed within seven to 12 days.

One workaround is to put your apartment number in the street address field, Twitter users are reporting.

Website for Free COVID Tests From Government Launches Early at ‘Limited Capacity’

“This is standard practice to address troubleshooting and ensure as smooth of an official launch tomorrow as possible,” the spokesperson told NBC News. “We expect the website to officially launch mid-morning tomorrow.”

WHEN AND HOW CAN YOU ORDER YOUR FREE COVID TEST KITS?

The new federal website to request free test kits, covidtests.gov, officially launches Wednesday, with the first shipments going out to Americans by the end of the month.

But late Tuesday morning, many users reported they had been able to place their orders already. A White House spokesperson confirmed the site was launched in a “beta phase” Tuesday and was “operating at limited capacity ahead of its official launch.”

“The tests will be completely free—there are no shipping costs and you don’t need to enter a credit card number,” the website states.

HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE TO RECEIVE THE TESTS?

The White House says “tests will typically ship within 7-12 days of ordering” through the U.S. Postal Service. USPS reports shipping times of 1-3 days for its first-class package service in the continental United States. Shipments to Alaska, Hawaii, Army Post Office (APO), Fleet Post Office (FPO) and Diplomatic Post Office (DPO) addresses will be sent through Priority Mail.

Importantly, given the shipping and process times, Americans will need to request the tests well before they meet federal guidelines for requiring a test.

HOW MANY TESTS CAN I ORDER FROM THE WEBSITE?

The White House says that “to promote broad access,” shipments from covidtests.gov will initially be limited to four rapid tests per residential address, no matter the number of occupants.

WHAT IF I HAVE MORE THAN 4 PEOPLE IN A HOUSEHOLD?

According to the website, the limit will remain four per residential address.

“To promote broad access, the initial program will only allow 4 free individual tests per residential address,” the site states.

WHICH HOME TEST WILL I GET?

That will vary. The federal government has secured more than 420 million tests for distribution through covidtests.gov already, with plans to increase the order to 1 billion tests in the coming weeks. All of the tests supplied will be authorized by the Food and Drug Administration and are capable of detecting the more-transmissible omicron variant of COVID-19, which is the dominant strain in the U.S. While they are packaged differently and may use slightly different procedures, officials said, the test mechanisms of detection and effectiveness are generally the same. All tests will come with detailed instructions.

CAN I CHOOSE WHICH TEST I GET?

According to the site, people will not be able to choose which brand of at-home tests they receive, but “all tests distributed as part of this program are FDA-authorized at-home rapid antigen tests.”

WHAT IF MY SHIPMENT NEVER ARRIVES?

The government says people who experience problems with their testing shipments should contact USPS.

President Joe Biden and his top health officials last month largely focused on urging people to get vaccinations and boosters, and on wearing a mask indoors while greenlighting holiday gatherings for those fully vaccinated.

The demand for testing has overwhelmed the nation’s capacity in places that are hardest hit, and the administration was widely criticized recently for what appeared to be confusing recommendations for those infected.

In an effort to improve its messaging Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director, said this month that she would begin holding regular news briefings with other CDC officials, apart from the weekly White House Covid briefings that typically last for 30 minutes and leave time for only a handful of questions.

What is the government website to order Covid tests?

Those with public health insurance through Medicare, or without insurance, will be directed to covidtests.gov to order tests or to community health centers in their area offering free testing.

Where can I get a COVID-19 test?

If you think you have COVID-19 and need a test, contact your health care provider or local health department immediately. You can also find a community testing site in your state, or buy an FDA-authorized at-home test. Some FDA-authorized at-home tests give you results within minutes. Others require you to mail the sample to a lab for analysis

How much does an at-home COVID-19 diagnostic test cost?

Starting January 15, most people with a health plan can go online, or to a pharmacy or store to purchase an at-home over-the-counter COVID-19 diagnostic test authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) at no cost, either through reimbursement or free of charge through their insurance.