Free at-home COVID test program to resume in September
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The U.S. government is bringing back its COVID-19 home testing program. Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
The federal government plans to relaunch its free COVID-19 home testing program at the end of September after suspending the program in March.
Why it matters: The Biden administration's announcement Friday comes as the number of COVID infections grows in a summertime surge.
- Cases are growing in more than two dozen states and respiratory virus season fast approaches, CDC data shows.
- The Food & Drug Administration approved new formulations of both Moderna and the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines on Thursday.
The big picture: U.S. households will be eligible to order four free COVID-19 tests at COVIDTests.gov when the program resumes, per a government website.
- The government said the tests will "detect current COVID-19 variants and can be used through the end of the year."
- The testing program distributed more than 900 million tests, the website notes.
What they're saying: "These tests will help families and their loved ones stay safe this fall and winter season," Dawn O'Connell, assistant secretary for preparedness and response at the Department of Health and Human Services, said Friday and NBC News reported.
Zoom in: Nearly one-third of Americans see COVID as a threat to their health, but the summertime wave of infections hasn't changed the widespread belief that the virus is no worse than seasonal flu, the latest Axios-Ipsos American Health Index found.
- 32% of the 1,063 people polled in August said COVID poses a large or moderate risk to their health, compared with 27% in early June.
Flashback: The Department of Health and Human Services at-home COVID test program launched in January 2022 and initially allowed four free tests per residential address, regardless of how many lived in a household.
- The program has been expanded and paused multiple times over the last few years.
- Since the expiration of the public health emergency in May 2023, many insurers stopped covering the cost of COVID tests.
How to order free COVID tests
State of play: The government said it will offer tests "at the end of September" but did not include an exact date.
- Orders will be taken for the free tests at COVIDTests.gov, which in the past directed people to a U.S. Postal Service site.
Editor's note: This story was updated with additional information throughout.
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