The U.S. government has decided to relaunch a program that enables Americans to place orders for complimentary COVID-19 tests to be delivered to their residences. This initiative has been reintroduced as the country experiences a surge in COVID-19 cases during the summer and enters the fall and winter seasons, which are typically associated with an increase in respiratory illnesses. Individuals can request up to four COVID nasal swab kits per household by visiting the website, covidtests.gov. Shipments of the tests are anticipated to commence as early as the following week through the United States Postal Service.

Health authorities are advising the American population to receive both an updated COVID-19 booster shot and their annual flu vaccination as precautionary measures against the virus. In line with this, U.S. regulators have authorized an enhanced COVID-19 vaccine formulation to combat not only existing virus variants but also those anticipated in the upcoming colder months. Despite efforts to encourage vaccination, the uptake of vaccines has been decreasing. As of the previous fall, less than a quarter of American adults had undergone vaccination.

Utilizing the nasal swab tests, individuals can identify current virus strains in advance of the flu and respiratory illness season, along with the holiday period. Typically, over-the-counter at-home COVID-19 tests cost around $11. It is important to note that insurance companies are no longer mandated to cover the expenses related to these tests. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the U.S. government has invested billions of dollars in the development and procurement of COVID-19 tests and vaccines.

The Biden administration has distributed a total of 1.8 billion COVID-19 tests, with approximately half of these being sent to households via mail. The exact number of remaining tests available within the government’s inventory is currently unknown. This initiative aims to provide convenient access to testing resources for the public as part of the ongoing efforts to combat the spread of COVID-19 and its variants across the nation.