Free COVID-19 Tests: How To Get Them In Rhode Island
CRANSTON, RI — Households in Rhode Island can order up to four free rapid antigen coronavirus tests beginning Wednesday with the launch of a federal government website — covidtests.gov — to help ease a nationwide shortage of the tests.
Although the White House said orders would begin Wednesday, several people have been able to place orders on Tuesday itself.
The federal government bought 500 million COVID-19 rapid tests in December in response to criticism over a low inventory of at-home tests and long lines at testing sites. Last week, President Joe Biden announced he's ordering another 500 million tests, bringing the total to 1 billion.
Americans must provide only their names and addresses — no insurance or credit card is required — to receive the COVID-19 tests. There's no shipping fee.
Rhode Island residents need to plan ahead to have the rapid COVID-19 tests on hand before they need them — whether as part of test-to-stay protocols in schools and workplaces or after potential exposure to COVID-19. Orders will be shipped within seven to 12 days, according to senior Biden administration officials briefing reporters Friday.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends at-home testing for people who are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms five days after potential exposure. Those symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat, respiratory symptoms, and muscle aches.
This article originally appeared on the Cranston Patch
