If you’re running low on COVID-19 tests following holiday travel and gatherings, the U.S. Postal Service and federal government are again offering tests via mail at no cost.
In mid-December, the Postal Service uploaded an open form to their website which Americans can complete in order to receive four rapid antigen COVID-19 tests.
The site states that each household is only permitted to place one order that includes all four tests.
To receive the tests by mail, the program merely requires a name and address. To track the order, an email field can be added.
For those who can’t use the internet to place their order, a hotline at 1-800-232-0233 is open during the day and takes calls in both English and Spanish.
Free COVID-19 tests for those who are blind or have low vision can be ordered online or by calling 1-888-677-1199.
The first batch of orders began delivery Dec. 19.
Millions of free at-home COVID-19 tests were sent to households earlier this year via the government’s COVID-19 test program. The program paused in September, but federal officials said they had tests for the winter months when COVID-19 cases usually spike.
The COVID-19 Winter Preparedness Plan document, which the White House distributed earlier this month, outlines the program’s limited return as follows, according to CBS News: “In the absence of Congress providing additional funding for the nation’s COVID-19 response, the administration has acted with its limited existing funding to add more at-home COVID-19 tests to the nation’s stockpile and support this round of ordering ahead of continued increases in COVID-19 cases.”
The U.S. Postal Service testing program is another way Americans can access free COVID-19 tests this winter. Those who need tests can also obtain free tests through many health insurance plans, which cover up to eight free tests per month, per individual, according to federal officials.
Federal health officials have said COVID-19 cases rose after Thanksgiving and remained high throughout the holiday season, as family and friends gathered and travel increased.
Note: This story originally appeared on LevittownNow.com. It is republished with permission.
