On the heels of a summer wave of Covid-19 cases, Americans will be able to get free virus test kits sent to their homes, starting in late September.
American households will be able to order up to four COVID-19 nasal swabs when the federal program reopens, according to the website, COVIDtests.gov. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which is overseeing the testing, has not announced an exact date for ordering to begin.
The tests will detect current strains of the virus and can be ordered before the holiday season when family and friends gather to celebrate, an HHS spokesperson said in an emailed statement. Over-the-counter COVID-19 at-home tests typically cost about $11, as of last year.
The announcement also comes as the government again urges people to get an updated COVID-19 booster, ahead of the fall and winter respiratory virus season.
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Earlier this week The FDA announced that it had updated the green light COVID 19 vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna for the fall 2024 season. Novavax is expected to receive approval for its updated vaccine this year. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends all Americans ages 6 months and older are getting a shot of the “updated 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccine.”
However, vaccine uptake is declining. Most Americans have some immunity from previous infections or vaccinations, but data show that less than a quarter of American adults received last fall’s COVID-19 shot.
The Biden administration has issued 1.8 billion COVID-19 tests, half of which are distributed to households by mail. It is unclear how many tests the feds have on hand.
Tens of billions of taxpayer dollars have been used to develop covid-19 tests, vaccines and treatments.
Although deaths and serious infections have declined dramatically since COVID-19 began spreading in the United States in 2020, hospitalizations have begun to creep up slightly in recent weeks. In total, more than 1 million Americans have died from the virus.