Covid-19 testing is an essential tool to limit the transmission of the virus. Hence, the Biden Administration will be giving away free at-home rapid COVID-19 tests by ordering online starting Jan. 19.
Covid-19 testing is an essential tool to limit the transmission of the virus. Hence, the Biden Administration will be giving away free at-home rapid COVID-19 tests by ordering online starting Jan. 19.
The Free at-Home Rapid COVID-19 Test
The Biden Administration is acquiring one billion at-home, rapid COVID-19 tests to provide Americans for free. Furthermore, half-billion tests will be available for order and will be shipped directly to American households. However, there are some important limitations. Each residential address will be limited to four tests only. Moreover, The White House cited that the tests are also expected to take 7-12 days to ship once they are ordered.
COVIDTests.gov is the website where people can order the free Covid-19 test which will be launched live on the website. In addition, to ensure its equity and accessibility in any means for everybody, the administration had also made an alternative way to order by launching a call line to assist those who are unable to access the website in placing the order and in collaboration with national and local community-based organizations to support the nation’s hardest-hit and highest-risk communities in requesting tests.
Read Also: Supreme Court Blocks Biden’s Vaccine Mandate, COVID-19 Testing To Workers
The Move Addresses the Shortage of the Covid-19 Test
This new program comes to a move as the White House has been pressured by lawmakers and health experts to take huge action to address the shortages of tests across the country. According to several health experts that the administration should have made the testing moves months ago, before the outbreak of the Omicron hits the US.
The limitation of four tests per address will mean this channel itself will be insufficient to provide regular testing that many experts have called for. The official said that 420 million tests have already been contracted, with 80 million remaining to be contracted.
Thursday, Biden had announced that there will be another 500 million tests to become available in the future in case of another wave of shortage. In Addition, the White House is ready for its launch, according to a senior administration official but there is always some risk when launching a website.
Related Article: COVID-19 Omicron Variant Fuels New Cases In The US, Experts Say
