Americans can once again order 4 free home COVID tests from the federal government

Americans can once again order free at-home COVID-19 tests from the federal government starting Thursday, ahead of the upcoming respiratory virus season.

This is the third year in a row that the Biden-Harris administration has allowed Americans to order over-the-counter tests for free.

Anyone who wants to order tests can do so at COVID.gov/tests . Four tests will be shipped free by USPS, starting September 30.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) first announced last month that it would restart its free COVID testing program.

“As families head back 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 for free and have them shipped directly to their homes,” Dawn O’Connell, assistant secretary for preparedness and response at HHS, said at a press briefing at the time. “These tests will help keep families and their loved ones safe this fall and winter holiday season.”

She added that the tests can detect infections from variants currently circulating.

Currently, KP.3.1.1, a split from the omicron variant, is the dominant variant in the U.S., accounting for an estimated 52.7% of cases, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

During the same press conference, CDC Director Dr. Mandy Cohen said that immunity from vaccination and previous COVID infection have helped limit the burden of COVID on the health care system.

“I do want to acknowledge that we are still seeing a lot of COVID-19 activity in tests coming back from labs,” Cohen said. “Circulating COVID disease is not translating into a similar increase in emergency department visits and hospitalizations or deaths.”