The Biden administration is relaunching a website that enables individuals to order free COVID-19 tests and have them delivered to their homes. Starting on Monday, Americans can request four tests from COVIDTest.gov.
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will invest $600 million in twelve domestic manufacturers to boost test production. This initiative aims to create jobs and provide a tool for minimizing virus transmission during the colder months.
According to Dawn O’Connell, Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response at the HHS, “Manufacturing COVID-19 tests in the United States strengthens our preparedness for the upcoming fall and winter seasons, reduces our reliance on other countries, and provides good jobs to hardworking Americans.”
The tests provided by HHS can detect circulating variants and are usable throughout the year. Although testing for COVID-19 is not as widely discussed as before, it remains a valuable tool for individuals to determine if they are infected and take appropriate measures to avoid spreading the virus in social gatherings.
The Biden administration is relaunching the testing program alongside its promotion of updated COVID-19 shots that target circulating variants. The test-shipping website was introduced in early 2022, following criticism that the administration was unprepared for the omicron wave and testing was difficult to obtain during the previous winter holidays.
The previous rounds of the COVIDTest.gov program resulted in the shipment of 755 million tests to homes across America. The funds allocated to domestic manufacturing will support five companies in California, two in New Jersey, and one each in Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Washington State.
HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra stated, “The Biden-Harris Administration, in partnership with domestic manufacturers, has made great strides in addressing vulnerabilities in the U.S. supply chain by reducing our reliance on overseas manufacturing. These critical investments will strengthen our nation’s production levels of domestic at-home COVID-19 rapid tests and help mitigate the spread of the virus.”
For more information, visit The GlobeBlogNews COVID-19 resource page.
