How to order free COVID-19 tests this winter

Nearly three weeks after Thanksgiving, COVID-19 cases are on the rise in the United States. At a December 15 press conference, White House COVID-19 coordinator Ashish Jha told reporters “we’re seeing an increase in cases in about 90% of the country.”

In December 2021, the federal government purchased more than 500 million rapid COVID-19 test kits to help Americans fight the spread of the virus during the omicron outbreak. For almost a year, people could order the tests online and have them delivered to their homes for free. But that program was suspended on September 2, 2022.

Recent online searches show that many people are wondering if these free COVID-19 home tests will be available again this winter.

Can you request free home COVID-19 testing from the federal government this winter?

Yes, you can request a free home COVID-19 test from the federal government this winter.

On December 15, the Biden administration announced its Winter Preparedness Plan for possible COVID-19 outbreaks in the upcoming winter months. These plans include making free home COVID-19 rapid tests available to Americans again for a limited time.

All residential households in the United States can order a set of four COVID-19 home tests. The kit will be mailed directly to them at no cost online at COVIDTests.gov.

To request a free test, all you need to do is enter your name and residential mailing address here. Shipping will begin the week of December 19 and continue into the coming weeks. You can also share your email address to receive updates about your order.

The White House said on its website: “The Administration has acted with its limited funding available to add more home COVID-19 testing kits to the national stockpile and support the next wave of COVID-19 testing. This order comes before cases of COVID-19 continue to increase.”

In addition to this program, there are more than 15,000 free community testing sites nationwide. The federal government is also distributing free home tests to schools, nursing homes, community health centers, rural health clinics and food banks to ensure community access. widespread testing this winter, according to the Biden administration.

If you need help ordering a free home COVID-19 test, you can call 1-800-232-0233 (TTY 1-888-720-7489). For more information on how to request a free rapid at-home test from the government, visit COVIDtests.gov/FAQ.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.