The Biden administration will deliver another round of free at-home COVID-19 tests nationwide through its COVIDTests dot gov website, a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said.
The site, one of the few places where free rapid COVID tests are still available for Americans after the end of the pandemic emergency in May, resumed its operations last September ahead of the winter months and a potential spike in infections.
For those who have already ordered four free at-home rapid tests through the site, an additional four tests will be available per household at no cost. Otherwise, anyone who has yet to place orders this fall can order eight tests per household.
Since September, about 14.5M households have ordered a total of 58M tests, the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR), a unit within HHS, said.
“We’re going to see families gather with older loved ones and younger loved ones and it’s important that they are able to protect their loved ones from COVID as we head into the winter months,” head of ASPR Dawn O’Connell noted.
According to latest CDC data, as of Nov. 11, weekly COVID hospitalizations in the U.S. have exceeded 16K with ~9% rise from 15K a week ago.