In a move aimed at bolstering public health as fall approaches, the Biden administration revealed on Friday that free COVID-19 tests will again be available starting late September.
Dawn O’Connell, Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response at the Department of Health and Human Services, emphasized the importance of these tests during a briefing on the upcoming respiratory virus season. “These tests are a crucial tool for helping families and their loved ones remain protected throughout the fall and winter months,” O’Connell said.
The program will provide four free COVID tests per household via mail. Interested individuals can order their tests by visiting Covidtests.gov once the program launches.
Since its inception in 2021, the home delivery initiative has seen over 900 million tests distributed directly to American households. Additionally, the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response has provided another 900 million tests through community-based distribution points, O’Connell noted.
As the holiday season approaches, O’Connell urged the public to remember to order their free tests. “With travel and family gatherings on the horizon for the 2024 holiday season, don’t forget to visit Covidtests.gov to secure your free tests,” she said.
This announcement comes amid a rise in COVID-19 cases across the U.S., driven by new, highly transmissible variants. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates a steady increase in positive COVID tests and a rise in emergency room visits related to the virus since mid-May. The CDC’s latest report shows that wastewater viral activity levels are currently “very high.”
On Thursday, the Food and Drug Administration approved updated COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna, designed to better align with the current strains of the virus.
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