Earlier this week, reports began rolling in that the CDC plans to shift away from its current COVID isolation guidelines. Instead of the current five-day isolation guidelines, the CDC has plans to shift their recommendations to have those who have received a positive COVID test isolate until they are without fever for at least 24 hours, and their symptoms are mild and steadily improving, according to the Washington Post’s interview with an unnamed source.
None of these changes are definite, and nothing has been confirmed by the CDC yet (we’ll update this story if the guidelines do change), so there’s no need to panic. However, if you want to make sure that you have COVID-19 tests available to you and your family, you’re in luck. If you know where to look, it’s still pretty easy to get your hands on free tests, vaccines and treatments.
Off and on since January 2022, the US Postal Service has been taking orders for free COVID-19 tests. And right now, you can still place an order for four more free COVID tests. The federal government first paused the program in September 2022 when it ran out of both tests and funding, then restarted it in December of that year, and then halted it again in May 2023 after the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency. The latest set of free tests is the second offering of fall 2023.
If you ordered four free tests in September 2023, you’re able to order four more. If you haven’t ordered any COVID tests from the Postal Service during these latest rounds, you can now place two orders for a total of eight tests.
Read more: Your Expired COVID Test Kits Are Probably Still Good. How to Find Out
Read on to find out how you can get the free tests, and to learn about other ways to get free COVID testing, treatment and vaccines.
For more, here’s what to know about long COVID, and here’s how to tell if it’s COVID, allergies or something else.How does the USPS free COVID-19 test program work?
In January 2022, President Joe Biden announced the launch of CovidTests.gov, a website where households could order four free rapid antigen COVID-19 tests shipped by the Postal Service. The site added more free tests in March 2022, May 2022 and again last winter. The new rounds of shipments will also include four COVID tests.
Unlike some complicated government applications, ordering free tests from the Postal Service is simple. It takes less than two minutes to complete a short form asking for your name and mailing address, and the tests ship in about a week or two. People without internet access or those who have trouble ordering online can request tests using a toll-free phone number: 800-232-0233.
It’s not clear exactly how long the free COVID-19 tests will last, so it’s best to get your order in soon.
How do I order free tests?
You only need to provide a few bits of information to get your kits. You won’t be asked to provide any credit or debit card details, as both the tests and the shipping are free. Here’s how to get your free at-home test kits.
1. Visit special.USPS.com/testkits. You can also get there via covidtests.gov.
2. Enter your contact details and shipping information.
3. Click Check Out Now.
4. Verify that your information is correct and select Place My Order.
All orders will be shipped via First Class Package Service.
People who can’t access the website or who have trouble ordering online can call 800-232-0233 to order their free tests.
When will my test kits arrive?
Tests are typically sent out within seven to 12 days of an order being successfully placed and are delivered by the Postal Service within one to three days of shipping.
What are my other free testing options?
Aside from the tests from the Postal Service, you have three main avenues to find free COVID-19 testing locations across the US: HRSA health centers, Test to Treat locations and ICATT testing sites. These options function similarly, but we’ll break down the specific steps to find your nearest free testing location.
HRSA health centers offer free COVID-19 testing
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HRSA health centers offer free COVID-19 testing.
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The Test to Treat program makes COVID testing and therapeutics more accessible.
Test to Treat is a federally funded health care initiative that provides more accessible COVID-19 care. This option differs from the others in this article as you can use the Test to Treat centers to receive both COVID testing and treatment for infections. Like the other COVID-19 free testing options, Test to Treat has a locator tool that you can use to find an eligible Test to Treat center near you.
The Test to Treat center locator works like the other COVID testing search tools. Enter your location into the search bar and the tool will display Test to Treat locations in your area. A sliding bar lets you resize the search radius to capture all of the Test to Treat centers within your area.
Within the Test to Treat locator results, you’ll be able to see each location’s address, which COVID-19 therapeutics they offer and other special instructions you might need to know to get tested. If there’s not an option to schedule a COVID test online through your chosen site, you may need to call.
Increasing Community Access to Testing provides COVID testing for the uninsured
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ICATT offers free testing to uninsured patients who are showing symptoms of COVID-19 or who have recently been exposed.
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