Biden Administration Renews Free At-Home COVID Test Program Ahead of Respiratory Virus Season

For the third consecutive year, the Biden-Harris administration is offering free at-home COVID-19 tests to Americans ahead of the respiratory virus season. Beginning Thursday, citizens can order these tests from the federal government without charge, in preparation for the upcoming respiratory virus season. The program allows for four tests to be shipped at no cost via the United States Postal Service (USPS), starting September 30.

The initiative was first announced last month by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Dawn O'Connell, the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response at HHS, emphasized the significance of the program during a media briefing. “As families start to move indoors this fall and begin spending time with their loved ones, both very old and very young, they will once again have the opportunity to order up to four new COVID-19 tests free of charge and have them sent directly to their homes,” stated O’Connell. She added that these tests are capable of detecting infections from currently circulating variants, thereby assisting in keeping families and their loved ones safe during the fall and winter season.

At present, the KP.3.1.1 variant, an offshoot of the omicron variant, is the predominant strain in the United States, responsible for approximately 52.7% of cases, according to recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

During the same media briefing, Dr. Mandy Cohen, Director of the CDC, acknowledged the ongoing COVID-19 activity across the country. “I do want to acknowledge that we continue to see a lot of COVID-19 activity across the country right now in tests coming back from labs,” said Cohen. However, she noted that the presence of circulating COVID disease is not leading to corresponding increases in emergency room visits, hospitalizations, or deaths.