WASHINGTON, DC – September 20, 2023 – On September 21st, the Biden Administration announced that orders for free at-home COVID-19 test kits will resume on September 25th. The free test kits have been previously purchased and are stored in our national stockpile. They are not due to expire until the end of this year. This action is in response to the increase in COVID cases this summer and a presumed rise in infections during the winter months. Offering free tests kits that encourages testing at home is an important public health tool to slow the spread of the virus.
Each household will be able to request 4 free test kits through the COVIDTests.gov portal. Shipments will begin on October 2nd by the U.S. Postal Service. The COVID tests will be able to detect the recent variants. The free test kits are antigen tests. Free test kits had been offered during the COVID pandemic; however, the program was paused in May. The program had delivered more than 750 million free at-home test kits to households across the country upon request.
Antigen tests have a chance of having a false negative test result which means that the test may be negative for COVID when a person is really infected. Therefore, people are encouraged to repeat the test in 48 hours if they feel sick or have been exposed to someone who has a COVID infection.
The Biden administration has also authorized that $600 million be appropriated for the production of about 200 million at-home tests kits by 12 U.S. manufacturers. They will replenish the federal stockpile. Having a supply at-hand will keep the U.S. ready for any future COVID surges. The administration wants to prevent a recurrence of test shortages that had occurred during the pandemic, reduce its dependency on manufacturing tests overseas, and provide good jobs to Americans.
In addition to offering free at-home COVID-19 tests to households, the federal government distributed 500 million free tests to long-term care facilities, low-income senior housing, uninsured people, and communities with low resources.
Buncombe County residents can pick up free COVID-19 home test kits in the Buncombe County Health and Human Services Building at 40 Coxe Avenue, Asheville during regular business hours.
Dawn O’Connell, assistant secretary for preparedness and response at HHS, said, “Our focus is getting through the holidays and making sure folks can take a test if they are going to see Grandma for Thanksgiving.”
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Contact: Dr. Dick Needleman, Health reporter, 103.3 AshevilleFM, healthyasheville@ashevillefm.org