Sept. 20, 2023 — Starting next week, Americans will have the ability to request 4 free rapid coronavirus tests, the Biden administration announced Wednesday.
The tests could be ordered online at covid.gov/tests from Monday. The tests can detect the most recent variants, officials said, and are expected to be deployed by the top of 2023.
The program has sent greater than 755 million tests to two-thirds of American households, in response to the Department of Health's website. About 310 million went to people in underserved communities.
The government stopped sending free tests in June after the general public health emergency resulted in May. The Washington Post reported.
HHS also announced Wednesday that it's donating $600 million to 12 test manufacturers to enhance testing availability.
“These critical investments will strengthen our nation’s production of domestic, rapid, home-use COVID-19 tests and help contain the spread of the virus,” HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra said in an announcement.
Accordingly The post“Experts say free coronavirus testing has proven to be an effective public health tool, allowing people to check their status before attending large gatherings or spending time with the elderly or medically vulnerable Risk of serious illness remains even after vaccination. “It also allows people to start antiviral treatments in the first few days of infection to prevent serious illness.”
The virus surged over the summer, with weekly hospitalizations increasing since July. In the week of September ninth there have been over 20,500. according to CDC.