HEALTH
How to get free covid-19 test kits sent to your home: Requirements
American households can request covid-19 tests free from the federal government, courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The US government is sending free covid-19 tests to households in the country.
Testing helps prevent and contain the spread of covid-19. If you have symptoms or were exposed to someone who suspects or has confirmed having covid-19, you should get tested, regardless of your vaccination status. We explain how to get them.
How you can request free covid-19-19 tests
According to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), every household in the United States is eligible to request four free home tests. The application for this round of submission began on 20 November.
If you haven’t requested them since the program reopened on 25 September, you can place two orders for a total of eight tests. To request tests, you must visit the covid-19.gov portal.
To order tests, you must fill out a form with your contact information and address. You can include an email address to receive shipping updates.
The order page warns that some tests may arrive with past expiration dates; the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has extended the dates for most approved tests meaning they are still valid.
Orders will ship for free starting the week of 27 November, according to the United States Postal Service (USPS), which is responsible for shipping the tests.
The coronavirus in the United States
Data on current levels coronavirus infections is scarce. Federal authorities ended the public health emergency in May, so the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and health agencies State health agencies stopped tracking positive test results.
However,the CDC continues to monitor the number of hospitalisations. As of 11 November, the agency reported 16,239 hospitalizations, an increase from the week ending 4 November when 14,948 were recorded.
Despite the increase, this data is very far from the peaks in hospitalisations recorded in previous years. At the end of November 2022, 26,461 hospitalizations were recorded, while at the end of the same month in 2021 and 2020, hospitalizations rose to 43,270 and 84,036, respectively, according to historical data from the CDC.