The U.S. public can begin ordering free at-home rapid Covid-19 tests through a new government website on Jan. 19, senior Biden administration officials said.
Initially, orders will be limited to four tests per residential address. Tests will ship via mail within 7-12 days of ordering, the officials said. The administration expects that timeline to shorten as the program ramps up, one of the officials said.
The public will be able to order tests at covidtests.gov. Those without access to the internet can place orders via phone, and the administration will work with community groups to help people request tests, the officials said. The government will give priority to orders from areas that have been hard-hit by the pandemic and low-income parts of the country.
The only information required to order the tests will be a person’s name and their address, the officials said. People can include their email addresses if they want to get updates on their order.
Starting Jan. 19, the Biden administration will make available the first half of the 1 billion rapid tests it is procuring to meet record demand caused by the spreading Omicron variant.
The tests will be mailed to Americans via the U.S. Postal Service via first-class mail.