Health officials believe the popularity of at-home rapid-test kits for COVID-19, like these provided free by the federal government earlier this year, means actual coronavirus cases are likely far higher than official counts based on laboratory-confirmed molecular PCR testing. (Tim Sheehan/The Fresno Bee/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
Following an uptick in COVID-19 infections, the U.S. government is planning to bring back a program that provides free COVID-19 tests to residents through the mail.
The Biden administration revealed Friday free tests would be available again starting in late September.
“These tests will help families and their loved ones stay safe this fall and winter season,” Dawn O’Connell, the assistant secretary for preparedness and response at the Department of Health and Human Services, said at a briefing on the upcoming respiratory virus season.
Households will be able to order up to four COVID-19 nasal swab tests on COVIDtests.gov when the federal program reopens, according to the website.
The announcement also comes as the government is once again urging people to get an updated COVID-19 booster, ahead of the fall and winter respiratory virus season. Earlier this week, U.S. regulators approved an updated COVID-19 vaccine that is designed to combat the recent virus strains and, hopefully, forthcoming winter ones, too.
Most Americans have some immunity from prior infections or vaccinations, but data shows under a quarter of U.S. adults took last fall’s COVID-19 shot.
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