Federal program offering free COVID tests is now open

Update: COVIDtests.gov is now accepting orders for free at-home COVID-19 test kits.

As flu and cold season approaches, Americans are again being urged to remain vigilant about COVID-19. Now, households across the U.S. can order free COVID-19 test kits through a federal program aimed at curbing the spread of the virus this winter.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) restarted its free COVID test-ordering program on Friday, Sept. 26, allowing households to order four rapid nasal swab tests through the U.S. Postal Service. The test can detect current COVID-19 variants and provide results in 30 minutes or less.

Pennsylvania is currently experiencing an increase in the percentage of deaths due to COVID-19, with around 50 deaths per week, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). While this is a significant drop from the 1,500 Pennsylvanians dying every week in December 2020, more than 55,000 Pennsylvanians have died because of COVID-19 since the pandemic began.

In August, the percentage of positive COVID cases nationwide reached its highest level since January 2022. Philadelphia has also seen a rise in cases. However Pennsylvania and Delaware have remained “stable,” while New Jersey’s case counts are “growing,” according to the CDC’s epidemic growth tracker.

Nearly 1 billion tests have been distributed through the federal program at COVIDtests.gov. The initiative was temporarily suspended in March, but tests were and are still available to uninsured people through existing HRSA-funded health centers or through designated CDC locations.

Without insurance or government assistance, over-the-counter COVID-19 tests can cost between $10 to $30, while some options that test for both flu and COVID-19 can cost up to $50, according to listings for at-home tests from Amazon, CVS, Walgreens, and Walmart.

COVID test ordering is available to all U.S. households. To place an order, individuals will need to provide their full name and a residential mailing address. Each U.S. household, not individual citizens, can request four at-home COVID test kits.

Orders can be placed at COVIDtests.gov.

People can still receive free COVID-19 testing through their insurance or get tested at free COVID-19 testing sites provided through the local or federal governments.

COVID restrictions, masking mandates, and vaccine requirements are no longer in place.

Generally, the CDC recommends staying up-to-date on vaccinations, staying home when sick, and seeking care if at risk for severe illness. More COVID-19 information on vaccines and prevention can be found in The Inquirer’s guide on fall vaccines.

In August, the Food and Drug Administration approved a new suite of vaccines for the upcoming cold and flu season. Here’s what you need to know. Updated vaccines will target the KP.2 strain of COVID-19, a subvariant of JN.1-lineage strains, including KP.3.1.1, KP.3, and KP.2 variants, which are now responsible for most infections in the U.S., according to the CDC.

The CDC identified KP.2, KP.2.3, KP.3, and KP.3.1.1 as the predominant COVID-19 variants, all of which come from the Omicron variant family. Currently, 53% of new COVID-19 cases in the U.S. are linked to KP.3.1.1.