One day ahead of schedule, the website for U.S. residents to order free COVID-19 test kits has gone live. The site, which was scheduled to open Wednesday (Jan. 19), allows residents to order the test kits and have them sent to their homes, free of charge.
Visitors may head to COVIDtests.gov, which will be redirected to a USPS website, and order four free rapid antigen test kits per household. According to the USPS website, the kits will ship in “late January.”
Some Michigan residents have already ordered their tests. “My friend sent me a link this morning, and I ordered them right away, and couldn’t believe it was so easy,” Amy Brader of Lansing said. “I thought the site would crash or something because so many people would be on it, but it didn’t, and I got my confirmation email that everything would be sent in late January. I’ve been looking for kits all over the city so it will be a relief to have some at our home.”
Those in the continental U.S., Alaska, Hawaii, and U.S. territories will be able to place an order through COVIDtests.gov, according to the White House. In addition, the White House said that tests will ship within seven to 12 days. Kits will arrive via USPS First Class mail in the continental U.S. and Priority Mail in Alaska, Hawaii and U.S. territories.
Priority will be given to “households experiencing the highest social vulnerability and in communities that have experienced a disproportionate share of COVID-19 cases and deaths, particularly during this omicron surge,” according to a statement.
For those who don’t want to order online, the Biden Administration has stated it’s working to launch a call line, where people who don’t have access to the internet will be able to order free kits. There’s no word yet on when that line will be live.
