USPS is sending out free at-home rapid COVID tests. Here's how to get them.
The United States Postal Service is sending out free at-home rapid COVID tests.
Residential households in the U.S. can order one set of four free at-home tests from USPS.com.
Here's what you need to know:
Limit of one order per residential address
One order includes 4 individual rapid antigen COVID-19 tests
Orders will ship free starting in late January
This is a day ahead of an initiative President Joe Biden announced last week where residents can order up to four at-home rapid tests per month by visiting COVIDtests.gov, which is also through the USPS.
Biden's initiative was upped to 1 billion at-home COVID-19 tests to be made available for residents and mailed to homes within 7 to 12 days through USPS.
The administration has partnered with USPS to package and deliver tests to Americans that want them. All orders in the continental U.S. will be sent through First Class Package Service, with shipments to Alaska, Hawaii, and the U.S. Territories addresses sent through Priority Mail, a release from the White House said.
According to the White House, the administrations is taking steps to make sure hardest-hit and highest-risk communities are reached.
That means:
Prioritizing processing orders to households experiencing the highest social vulnerability and in communities that have experienced a disproportionate share of COVID-19 cases and deaths, particularly during the Omicron surge.
Launching a free call line, so that Americans who have difficulty accessing the internet or need additional support can phone-in orders for their tests.
Working with national and local organizations with deep experience serving communities of color, people living with disabilities and other high-risk communities.
The Biden administration also announced it would be requiring insurance companies and group health plans to cover the cost of over-the-counter, at-home COVID-19 tests. Those with private health insurance or group health plans who buy FDA authorized over-the-counter COVID tests will have the cost of the tests covered.
Augusta Health announced this week that the area is at a high level of COVID-19 activity, with a testing positivity rate for the week of Jan. 9-15 at 46%.
Your support helps keep the lights on at The News Leader. Stay connected with our stories, enterprise reporting and more by clicking "Subscribe" at the top of the page.
Laura Peters is the trending topics reporter at The News Leader. Have a news tip on local trends or businesses? Or a good feature? You can reach reporter Laura Peters (she/her) at lpeters@newsleader.com. Follow her @peterslaura. Subscribe to The News Leader at newsleader.com.
This article originally appeared on Staunton News Leader: At-home COVID tests through USPS: Here's how to get one
