Every home in the U.S. can soon order 4 free at-home COVID-19 tests. The tests will be completely free—there are no shipping costs and you don’t need to enter a credit card number.
Starting Jan. 19, people can visit https://www.covidtests.gov/ to order their free at-home tests.
The Biden Administration says it will also launch a free “call line to help those unable to access the website to place orders” and will “work with national and local community-based organizations to support the nation’s hardest-hit and highest-risk communities in requesting tests,” according to a White House written statement.
“We’re taking a number of steps to ensure this program reaches our hardest-hit and highest-risk communities,” one senior administration official said. “This includes working with national and local organizations with deep experience serving communities of color, people with disabilities, and other high-risk communities to serve as navigators who will raise awareness about this program and help people submit their requests for tests.”
Studies have shown low-income and communities of color have a higher risk of contracting COVID-19, and are more likely to develop a serious illness if infected. Yet, the same communities are less likely to have access to adequate, affordable, and quick COVID-19 tests. One 2020 study found that communities of color “in many major cities face higher demand than sites in whiter or wealthier areas in those same cities,” and that Black and Latinx people were “more likely to experience longer wait times and understaffed testing centers.”