WASHINGTON, D.C. - The United States Postal Service is distributing four new free COVID-19 at-home rapid antigen tests per individual, and the website was launched on Tuesday with a buzz throughout office spaces and homes nationwide.

The site has been extremely popular in its initial launch, the U.S. Postal Service says.

Get The Latest News!

Don't miss our top stories and need-to-know news everyday in your inbox.

The information on the site reads: "Do you need a COVID-19 test and cannot find one? The United States Postal Service will deliver four free at-home rapid antigen tests. Each order placed comes with four tests. They start shipping in late January."

At points Tuesday more than 750,000 people were accessing the website at the same time, according to public government tracking data, but it was not immediately known how many orders were placed.

Americans shouldn’t expect a rapid turnaround on the orders and they will have to plan ahead and request the tests well before they meet federal guidelines for when to use a test.

Article continues after sponsor message

The White House said “tests will typically ship within 7-12 days of ordering” through USPS, which reports shipping times of 1-3 days for its first-class package service in the continental United States.

Officials emphasized that the federal website is just one way for people to procure COVID-19 tests, and shortages of at-home test kits have shown signs of easing as more supply has hit the market.

This is the link for the free tests:

https://special.usps.com/testkits

U.S. health insurance providers now have to pay for at-home COVID test kits with a federal law change. Customers are to be reimbursed for as many as eight COVID tests per month per individual and receive them at no cost from "in-network" pharmacies.

Americans without health insurance will also soon receive home COVID-19 tests directly from the federal government.

More like this:

Mar 15, 2024 - Illinois’ Overall Respiratory Virus Level Remains Flat

Feb 19, 2024 - Seasonal Respiratory Viruses Remain At Low Levels Across Illinois

Jan 21, 2024 - Seasonal Respiratory Viruses Continue to Impact Illinois Following the Holidays

Mar 4, 2024 - IDPH Adopts New CDC Guidelines That Streamline Recommendations For COVID-19, Flu And RSV

Jan 7, 2024 - Seasonal Respiratory Viruses Circulating Widely in Illinois Following the Holidays

 

If you have a news, human interest or sports idea, e-mail Danbrannan@riverbender.com or call or text 618-623-5930. Follow Dan Brannan on Facebook and on Twitter.

Print Version