The season of free COVID assessments from the US Postal Service is ending somewhat earlier than winter does. The dedicated USPS site for ordering free COVID-19 rapid antigen tests from the federal government added an ominous discover on Monday: The positioning will cease accepting orders for COVID-19 assessments this Friday, March 8.
Learn extra: Are Your COVID Tests Really Expired? How to Find Out
On and off since January 2022, the US Postal Service has been taking orders at no cost COVID-19 assessments. And proper now you possibly can still place an order for four more free COVID tests, or eight assessments when you did not order any in the course of the earlier spherical final September.
This announcement comes on the heels of the CDC shifting its official COVID isolation tips. As a substitute of the everyday five-day isolation interval, the CDC now recommends that you just be fever-free and see your signs enhance for twenty-four hours earlier than returning to your regular actions.
Learn on to seek out out how one can get free COVID assessments and to study different methods to get free COVID testing, therapy and vaccines.
For extra, this is what to learn about long COVID, and this is how to tell if it’s COVID, allergies or something else.
What’s the free USPS COVID-19 check program?
In January 2022, President Joe Biden introduced the launch of CovidTests.gov, a web site the place households may order 4 free fast antigen COVID-19 assessments shipped by USPS. The positioning added a number of extra free assessments by way of the months of 2022, after which once more this previous winter, beginning on Sept. 25, 2023.
The addition of 4 extra free assessments on Nov. 20 introduced a complete of eight fast antigen assessments per US family within the newest batch for this winter season. If you have not ordered any assessments from the most recent batch, you possibly can obtain all eight when you get them organized from the Postal Service by Friday, March 8.
Not like some sophisticated authorities functions, ordering free tests from the Postal Service is straightforward. It takes lower than two minutes to finish a brief kind that asks to your title and mailing deal with, and the assessments ship in per week or two. Individuals with out web entry or people who’ve bother ordering on-line can request assessments utilizing a toll-free telephone quantity: 800-232-0233.
How do I order free COVID assessments from the Put up Workplace?
You solely want to supply just a few bits of knowledge to get your free COVID assessments. You will not be requested to supply any credit score or debit card particulars, as each the assessments and the delivery are free. Here is the way to get your at-home fast antigen check kits.
1. Go to special.USPS.com/testkits. You may as well get there through covidtests.gov.
2. Enter your contact particulars and delivery data.
3. Click on Examine Out Now.
4. Confirm that your data is appropriate and choose Place My Order.
All orders might be shipped through First Class Bundle Service.
Once more, individuals who cannot entry the web site or who’ve bother ordering on-line can name 800-232-0233 to order their free assessments.
When will my check kits arrive?
Exams are usually despatched out inside seven to 12 days of an order being efficiently positioned and are delivered by the Postal Service inside one to a few days of delivery.
What are my different free testing choices?
Apart from the assessments from the Postal Service, you’ve got three most important avenues to seek out free COVID-19 testing places throughout the US: HRSA well being facilities, Check to Deal with places and ICATT testing websites. These choices perform equally, however we’ll break down the particular steps to seek out your nearest free testing location.
HRSA well being facilities supply free COVID-19 testing
HRSA well being facilities supply free COVID-19 testing.
The Health Resources and Services Administration funds well being facilities throughout the US. At these HRSA well being facilities, it is possible for you to to obtain free COVID-19 testing. You should use HRSA’s locator tool to discover a middle close to you.
First, choose the language you want to obtain your leads to. Then merely enter the placement you want to search into the field labeled Location. The locator additionally permits you to widen your search radius, so you possibly can see all of the choices your space has to supply.
As soon as you’ve got discovered a middle that works for you, click on by way of to that specific location’s web site and observe their particular directions for acquiring a free COVID-19 check.
Check to Deal with places have COVID testing and drugs
The Check to Deal with program makes COVID testing and therapeutics extra accessible.
Test to Treat is a federally funded well being care initiative that gives extra accessible COVID-19 care. This selection differs from the others on this article as you need to use the Check to Deal with facilities to obtain each COVID testing and therapy for infections. Like the opposite COVID-19 free testing choices, Check to Deal with has a locator device that you need to use to seek out an eligible Check to Deal with middle close to you.
The Test to Treat center locator works like the opposite COVID testing search instruments. Enter your location into the search bar and the device will show Check to Deal with places in your space. A sliding bar enables you to resize the search radius to seize the entire Check to Deal with facilities inside your space.
Throughout the Check to Deal with locator outcomes, you can see every location’s deal with, which COVID-19 therapeutics they provide and different particular directions you would possibly must know to get examined. If there’s not an choice to schedule a COVID check on-line by way of your chosen website, it’s possible you’ll must name.
Growing Neighborhood Entry to Testing offers COVID testing for the uninsured
ICATT provides free testing to uninsured sufferers who’re exhibiting signs of COVID-19 or who’ve just lately been uncovered.
Increasing Community Access to Testing, or ICATT, is one other free testing program that you need to use when you want entry to free COVID-19 testing. ICATT works a bit in a different way than the opposite packages on this checklist.
ICATT is particularly designed for uninsured sufferers who’ve been uncovered to COVID-19 or are experiencing signs of COVID-19. Anybody can get an ICATT check at one of many program’s places, no matter insurance coverage standing. In case you are uninsured and also you want to be examined at an ICATT-eligible website, you’ll not must pay to your check. In case you are insured, you would possibly must pay a payment.
The ICATT locator tool works identical to the opposite locator instruments at no cost COVID testing — enter your deal with or your ZIP code to seek out ICATT places close to you. There’s a search radius adjuster on this locator to tweak your searches to seize the complete space that you just wish to search.
As soon as you’ve got discovered a location, observe your testing website’s steps for scheduling your appointment.
How can I get free COVID-19 vaccines and booster photographs?
COVID-19 vaccines and boosters are an necessary safety in opposition to contracting or getting significantly ailing from the virus. For the reason that CDC has recommended updated COVID-19 booster shots for everybody 6 months or older, you is likely to be questioning the way to discover free COVID-19 vaccines.
If you do not have insurance coverage or a well being supplier, don’t be concerned. The Department of Health and Human Services website says, “COVID-19 vaccines are 100% free for each particular person residing in the USA.”
On Sept. 14, the Division of Well being and Human Companies launched the Bridge Access Program, which is able to proceed to supply free vaccines to those that are uninsured by way of native well being departments and HRSA facilities. CDC has additionally partnered with “greater than 20,000 retail pharmacy places nationwide” to supply free vaccines by modifying the present ICATT program talked about above.
The Bridge Entry Program will finish in December 2024, however till then, you can entry free COVID-19 vaccines. To make use of it, go to vaccines.gov, select which shot you need, after which click on the “search” button. On the following web page, choose the choice that claims “Bridge Entry Program Participant” to indicate which places supply no-cost vaccines.
For extra, study how your blood type could make you more susceptible to COVID and everything to know about the updated COVID-19 boosters.
Correction, Sept. 21, 2023: An earlier model of this story contained incorrect details about the price of vaccines for folks with out insurance coverage. It has been up to date with details about how folks can get free vaccines.
